On the brink of retirement, Martin firefighter volunteers to provide aid in Israel
MARTIN COUNTY — He's walked on the rubble of devastation across the country.
From assisting New York firefighters at the leveled buildings of Ground Zero after 9/11 to helping in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Chuck Gordils, a Martin County Fire Rescue captain, has been deployed to crises in regions all over the U.S.
The 29-year fire rescue veteran will take his services overseas to Israel and volunteer for 14 days to provide relief at fire stations across the country after thousands of deaths of Israelis and Palestinians within the past two weeks.
"To me, there's no higher honor to be able to take those skills to a foreign land because I know they're humans and they're hurting like we would be if this happened here, and they need this help," Gordils said. "And I couldn't watch it and not do anything. That's God's honest truth."
More: 'We have no funeral cars, no ambulances': In Israel-Hamas war, a struggle to bury the dead
Since the war began on Oct. 7, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,500 others have been wounded. In Israel, more than 1,400 people have been killed.
Gordils said he refused to sit by and watch images of the carnage and devastation.
The calling was personal as he knows Israeli firefighters who came to Florida to assist with response to the Surfside condominium building collapse in Miami-Dade County. He sees traveling to Israel to help out as returning the favor.
These attacks are different than Gordils' other experiences, as thousands of people have been intentionally slaughtered.
More: Treasure Coast Jewish community, others pray 'because there is brokenness' over Israel
He said the attacks have caused the loss of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.
"It's not fair to them. Palestinians (are) not Hamas. This is terrorists doing this. This isn't about politics or the agenda, this is about human suffering on the worst level," Gordils said. "These are children, these are grandparents, these are old people, too. I mean, think about that ... nothing's hands off."
Gordils flies to Israel Sunday using his own finances and vacation time. He said he's still awaiting details on where he'll be deployed, but it's possible that he'll travel to fire stations near Gaza and the borders of Lebanon and Egypt.
The fire rescue captain signed up to provide aid in Israel with the Emergency Volunteers Project. He was selected for his skills in urban search and rescue.
His duties may range, including to provide relief to firefighters who have worked long hours since the Hamas attacks.
Gordils said he's willing to do anything from washing trucks to responding to everyday emergencies for firefighters who need rest.
"This isn't about politics. Kids don't understand politics, they're babies," Gordils said. "So if I can even help just run other calls for them every day, and work all day, every day, and give them a little bit of time to go grieve with their family and spend time with their loved ones, that's all I care about."
'Unprecedented' service overseas
Gordils' work overseas would be "unprecedented," according to one of his colleagues.
Rocco Napoli, the division chief of operations for Martin County Fire Rescue, said he's known Gordils for more than two decades.
The division chief said Gordils is committed to serving the public and is highly skilled at patient care. In his 23 years in Martin County Fire Rescue, Napoli said he's never seen a deployment like this.
"He's going into a war zone, into a hot zone we would call it, and his whole desire is to help people," Napoli said. "He's volunteering his own time. He's not getting paid to do it. He's doing it out of his altruistic ways."
More fit than firefighters in their 20s
At 59 years old, Gordils is on the brink of retirement.
He said he doesn't want to look back at his career with regrets and has trained to meet the moment.
Gordils said he's more fit than he was in his 20s. The Special Operations captain starts each workday off with a five-kilometer run to stay in shape and set an example for his colleagues.
His colleagues have taken note.
Gordils said he's been through many calls and has decades on the job. He hopes he can play a small part in making life easier for people in Israel.
"We've got to work. We're going to work with them and make their lives easier," Gordils said. "Even if just for two weeks. Give them some peace, and some semblance of some normalcy for a couple of days."
Mauricio La Plante is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow him on Twitter @mslaplantenews or email him at Mauricio.LaPlante@TCPalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Martin County fire rescue captain volunteers service in Israel
