A key element that may have been overlooked by U.S. observers as Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in the fall of 2017 was how the island's emergency services would continue serving during and after the storm.
Nearly 1,700 Puerto Rico firefighters worked around the clock, and they also got plenty of help from US-based emergency personnel who volunteered their time to head to the island and aid with recovery efforts.
The Chicago Fire Department was one of many that answered the call, sending 22 personnel with ties to the island in October 2017, but the Windy City took that outreach a step further on Tuesday by donating a fire engine and ambulance to the city of Manati on Puerto Rico's northern coast that will serve both the city itself and surrounding areas.
"Following (the) aftermath of Hurricane Maria, donations such as this are a step in the right direction to making the Island whole again," the CFD said on Twitter following a ceremony in the heart of Chicago attended by Manati Mayor Jose Sanchez Gonzalez.
"Many thanks and blessings," Mayor Sanchez Gonzalez said on Twitter following the ceremony.
The donation was spearheaded by three local officials with Puerto Rican heritage: Ariel Reboyras, the city's 30th ward alderman; community leader David Diaz, and Cmdr. Frank Velez with the Chicago Fire Department.
