Martinez leads the team to the victim, who has been hit by a car on the side of the highway. They stabilise the woman, who has heavy internal bleeding, and transport her to the nearest hospital, then return to the base for the next call. Often the team is diverted to another accident while on their way back to base.

“It’s satisfying knowing you saved a life by bringing them to the hospital,” Martinez explained and the radio dispatcher next to her agreed. Without the Comandos de Salvamento, many critical victims would die. State services are either slow or non-existent.

Martinez started coming to the Comandos in secondary school. “At the beginning I didn’t like it,” she said, mentioning the male dominated crews and long hours. “Then I started to learn new ways to save people and I really began to enjoy it here.”

While she and her crew aren’t technically Emergency Medical Technicians they receive lessons in first aid. The majority of the youths leave the Comandos to find full time jobs, but return to volunteer when they can. Some initial volunteers go on to receive full paramedic training and return to the Comandos as paid medics.

By day, Maria, who graduated high-school earlier in the year, is a music teacher – but her time with the Comandos has made her think about a different career. “I’m hoping to go back to school for nursing”, she says. “I’m hoping to learn more about healthcare and use it to save lives.”

Not all of her family is supportive. Her father encourages her volunteer work but her mother feels like she is wasting her time with the corps.

“It’s very difficult because my mother doesn't agree with me being here, she thinks I’m not going to get anything out of this,” said Martinez, looking at the map of the city, where dangerous areas are marked. “But I think it’s just the opposite, dealing with life and death is everything here.”

As the sun comes up, some of the members wake up and shuffle to collect a cup of the watered down coffee available. It’s 8am and the new crew arrives. Older members encourage younger volunteers to go to church, but most end up being driven home in a beat up four-wheel drive to their neighbourhoods.

Back at the base, Maria goes into one of the tiny dorm rooms crammed with bunk-beds. This is where she’ll sleep until the next call, and her next chance to save a life.