Mindelo, Cape Verde

Hello all!

Well, we’ve begun the second half of the deployment in the African Area of Responsibility. Two days ago we pulled into Mindelo, Cape Verde…and we were greated by 95+ degree heat! Man-o-man is it hot down here. This was the first blast of warm air we’ve witnessed all deployment, as we were pretty far north for most of the summer. The last half of the deployment we’ll be visiting many developing African countries. Our mission down here is to help them develop the basics to maintain a professional maritime force and to conduct maritime security. Many of the countries face significant challenges such as enforcing their maritime zones (versus threats like piracy, illegal shipping, anti-narcotics, fisheries protection, and immigrations issues). Additionally, we’ll be engaging w/ them with training on basic maintenance practices and general engineering safety practices that will allow their Coast Guards and Navies to maintain a presence at sea in order to carry out the missions I mentioned above.

After taking on fuel the first day, we hosted the 6th Fleet’s Navy Band and an all-star Navy Soccer team both flown in from Naples, IT. Both soccer and music are areas of interest and pride for the Cape Verdians, so we hosted a concert and had several soccer games w/ them to encourage team work and fellowship. I was able to head out in town for a meal and some beers the first night. I went out w/ Don and a couple junior officers. Other than being ungodly hot, the town was pretty dirty and barren. Very third world-ish…trash everywhere, young children roaming the street begging for money or hawking cheap t-shirts or jewelry. There were stray dogs and dalapidated buildings everywhere. But the people seemed friendly enough. We settled in a local restaurant on a second floor of a hostel (no A/C). The food was pretty good (pinto beans, rice, flank steak w/ an egg on top, salad and French fries) and the beer was cold. Overall, we had a nice meal there.

Tues, I had duty and we conducted some Visit, Board, Search and Seizure training w/ the local Coast Guard. We trained them on all the basic steps they need to learn to be able to secure their sea lanes and police their local ports and inland waters. In the afternoon, we sent 20 Sailors to a local school for a community relations project. The Sailors painted the complete exterior of a local school, top to bottom (in just 2 hours). Later in the evening we hosted a reception onboard for local dignitaries (mayor, congressional reps, local businessmen, military officials, etc). Just as we started to mingle w/ the guests, we witnessed a huge fire in a warehouse along the waterfront not more than a mile away.

We called away the ship’s rescue and assistance team (we practice giving vessels in distress help fighting fires every month) and they sprung into action. We brought 2/3 of our damage control and firefighting equipment to the pier (we left 1/3 on the ship just in case we needed it for a fire onboard). The locals quickly volunteered their trucks and SUV’s to take equipment and Sailors over to the scene. After organizing the effort onboard (taking a muster of who left, what equipment they needed, and ensuring we still had equipment onboard in case of an emergency), I turned over the duties as Command Duty Officer to OPS (a fellow department head) and I left to go assist my Damage Control Assistant (in charge of all firefighting efforts onboard the ship) at the scene of the fire.

When we (me and 36 firefighters from ELROD) arrived, the scene was in disarray. The building had been burning for over an hour and the local fire departement had not even begun fighting the fire. We quickly organized into a couple hose teams and manned up hoses at the largest parts of the fire. As we fought the fire, they started manning up other hoses and did the same (kind of “monkey see, monkey do”). I began liasioning w/ the local fire chief, who I quickly realized was clueless and had no plan. Evidently, this was the first fire in over 10 years (hard to believe, but that’s how clueless they were). DCA and I began advising him (ie telling him what to do) on where to move his fire trucks and where to fight the fire from.

We were dismayed to find out that their firefighters did not have breathing air devices (we call them SCBA’s) to go into the smoke filled building, and they did not have flash gear (like a fire retardant ski mask and gloves). Both of these are essential items and without them, risk of burns and smoke inhalation meant they could not properly fight the fire. The warehouse which was approximately 40K sqr ft and made of corrugated aluminum was starting to collapse when we arrived. We began chopping holes in the side of the building for them (w/ fire axes) and prompted them to fight the fires through the accesses we made. We also concentrated on helping them man their hoses properly so their efforts were more effective. As ELROD’s firefighters worked their hoses, we managed to put out half of the building’s fires. The other half was being half heartedly fought by the locals. Somewhere in the mix, the fire chief disappeared. So we reorganized the effort and again made our recommendations that they send two hose teams in the building to fight the last two seats of the fire. However, they refused and continued to let the fire burn. It was hard to keep restrained in the face of such ignorance and lack of courage, but I could not send my firefighters into the building based on the risk assessment and our lack of training w/ structural fires (besides, my XO, who had comms w/ me via radio back at the ship would not let me send our Sailors into the building). Even though, I was confident we would’ve been able to fight and put out the last of the fires if they had allowed us, it was important for us to help only as necessary and to stay back as advisors and help direct their effort. Overall, my shipmates put forth an extraordinary effort. They stayed calm, applied their knowledge of safe and thorough firefighting techniques and helped contain the fire to that one building. I’m not sure how far the fire would have spread had we not been there to help and advise. I’ve attached a bunch of pics from the fire and the building the day after…what a night!!

2445/6- pics of the first hose team in action…they were the fearless ones that prompted the locals to start fighting the fire.
48- dirty dozen…the majority of the hard working guys that were on the front lines fighting the fire.
49- Me and one of my DCC Raney (one of my “rated” firefighting Chief Petty Officers). He was like a bulldog out there, chomping at the bit to go into the building and put the fire out when the locals were afraid.

Yesterday, my engineers visited one of their patrol craft, hosted some CG engineers onboard ELROD for a visit, and followed it up w/ some training on our Maintenance practices and safety procedures. It was another great opportunity to help our friends from Cape Verde become better Sailors and engineers.

I’m afraid to say it, but despite my less than positive reviews of this port, I’m afraid this will be one of the better places we visit over the next couple months. However, I look forward to helping these countries build their professional knowledge and skill sets through training and engagement.

Hope all are well!! I’m 101 days down, only 83 left!!!
J.R.