High River fire department giving equipment to Chilean community
The High River fire department is donating approximately five tons of equipment to volunteers in Chile.
Through joint efforts with the Taber Lions Club, the fire department is providing full bunker gear, including pants, jackets, gloves and boots for up to 35 people in the community of San Juan de la Costa.
They are also donating rubber hoses, a rescue board and a 1960s Homelite generator.
The equipment will be loaded onto the Lions Club’s truck, which will then be driven to the Lethbridge area and transferred to a 40-foot shipping container.
“The community we’re donating the equipment to has never had their own fire department before,” High River fire chief Lance Bushie said in a release.
“The new department will be run completely by community volunteers, so this equipment will go a long way to helping them get set up and established. We’re happy to be able to contribute to a cause that will help make a difference in keeping the community safe.”
Bushie added that many of the items being donated have been given to the High River fire department over the years. Many items cannot or have not been used, or have been upgraded to meet new National Fire Protection Association standards.
San Juan de Luca is located in the southern part of Chile, with the nearest fire department 34 kilometres away. Residents came together to start their own department, called the Brigada Kunk Mapu, to help respond to fires in their community.
“This donation is going to get the San Juan de la Costa firefighting team off to a great start,” said Ricardo Berner, a member of the Taber Lions Club and a volunteer firefighter in Santiago in a press release.
“Now, with the full bunker gear, hoses and other fire apparatus, they can continue with more realistic training to get a better idea and feel for what it will be like when they have to respond to a real fire.”