Miami-Dade Firefighter Helps Firefighters, Residents in Caribbean

MIAMI, FL, March 07, 2014

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lieutenant Maria Ortiz is a woman on a mission to save lives and help the less fortunate. Ortiz recently received a "Life Saving" award at the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's (MDFR) Medal Day ceremony, which honors their bravest. She received the recognition for responding to a call, along with her unit when a North Miami apartment / condominium went up in flames.

The fire was on the fourth floor and residents were having a hard time getting out due to the thick smoke. "We were the second unit to arrive on scene, we extinguished the fire and rescued 13 people out of the burning apartment building. It was a team effort and we got the job done," Ortiz said. She was one of 100 firefighters who were honored by the MDFR on Feb. 8, 2014, for performing above and beyond the call of duty, serving the community doing a job that requires exceptional bravery every day.

Her passion for helping others extends into her personal life. Growing up in the city of Moca in the Dominican Republic, Ortiz always wanted to help others and that desire led her to become a firefighter/paramedic in 1995. In 2007, after she lost her mother, Ortiz found solace in making frequent trips to the island of Hispaniola and bringing aid in the form of food and clothing to needy Haitians and Dominicans.

On one of those trips to Moca, Ortiz realized that the local fire station lacked some basic firefighting equipment and that her fellow first-responders were inadequately trained. This realization led her to establish ProJecto por Amor a Jesus (PPAAJ), a non-profit organization that assists underprivileged families, donates firefighter equipment and provides training to local volunteer firefighters in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

"I found hope in Jesus Christ, and his love gave me a renewed purpose in my life. ProJecto is my way of giving back and saying thanks for all the blessings I have in my life," said Ortiz, founder and director of PPAAJ. I am only able to do this with the volunteer help and donations of many other Miami-Dade firefighters and people in the community. One hundred percent of donations go directly to funding PPAAJ projects."

In April 2013, ProJecto made its first delivery of equipment that was partially donated by the Miami-Dade County's Fire Rescue Department to five fire stations in the Dominican Republic including fire helmets, breathing apparatus, bunker gear, boots and forcible entry tools. Volunteer trainers traveled to the Dominican Republic and instructed the local fire crews on how to use their new equipment correctly and effectively.

The following month, in May 2013, ProJecto joined forces with a team from Firefighters for Christ and conducted much-needed first responder training in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Last summer, ProJecto also opened a warehouse and thrift shop in Moca. "Now we have a centralized place to store the donated clothing, toys and other goods once they arrive," said Ortiz. "From there we can deliver them to where it's most needed or sell items in the thrift shop. All proceeds are put back into PPAAJ initiatives."

Ortiz is currently in the Dominican Republic to deliver computers to four small schools in the mountains and visit two fire stations to deliver equipment donated by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and PPAAJ. "It's going to be a very productive and busy trip," said Ortiz prior to her departure on Feb. 27, 2014. "Besides taking computers and fire gear, I will also be working on a project to provide uniforms for children." Ortiz hopes to arrange a meeting with the country's First Lady, Cándida Montilla Medina to discuss education sometime later this year.

About ProJecto por Amor A Jesus: ProJecto por Amor A Jesus is a non-profit organization based in Miami, Fla. Donations are accepted in the form of clothes, shoes, school supplies for children, medical equipment, medicine, firefighting gear such as helmets, boots, hoods, tools, etc. and monetary donations. ProJecto's official logistics partner, Embarque Colonial, provides the transportation of donated goods to the Dominican Republic from Miami, Fla.

Visit http://www.ppaaj.com or call (786) 380-1374 for more information.