Unlike most fire departments in the US, Chile’s fire fighters are 100% volunteers. They receive minimal government funding and must rely on citizen donations to keep their departments fully functional. Here in the US, with local and government subsidies, our fire departments are obliged to replace much of their equipment on a regular basis. Often the equipment is still serviceable, allowing departments to make donations of such equipment to out-of-country locations.

The 2024 exchange with Viña del Mar Bomberos and the SMFD resulted in a strong bond between the two groups and a promise to continue to share best practices and also opened the door to exchanging equipment. SMFD made a sizeable donation of personal protection equipment that was sent to Chile right after the Bomberos exchange. At that time, the wheels were put in motion to donate a much needed fire engine to Viña del Mar. Just a little over a year later, in October 2025, SMFD formally presented Fire Engine 7 to Rodrigo J. Villegas, representing Viña del Mar’s Bomberos Station 5. Chilean Ambassador to the U.S. Juan Gabriel Valdés, and Chilean Consul General Patricio Cabezas also attended

We are thrilled to report that on February 15, 2026 the Bomberos of Viña del Mar Station 5 received Fire Engine #7 from SMFD. The engine left Marin County on the back of a flatbed truck in November of last year, and headed to Long Beach where it boarded a ship to Chile. The truck will now serve as a front line engine for the greater Viña del Mar region. From the zoom conferences in 2022 where best practices were exchanged, to the delivery of the engine in February 2026, this donation represents people to people diplomacy at its best.

The VDM Ops Council members are proud to have facilitated the partnership between the fire fighters in Viña del Mar and SMFD.

Celebrating the donated engine, October 2025

The Sausalito–Viña del Mar sister city relationship runs deep. Now, we’re bringing that bond to life right in the heart of downtown Sausalito. The Viña del Mar Stairs project will transform the Excelsior Stairs into a vibrant public mural celebrating our two cities’ enduring connection. Read more about the project and how you can help make it happen →