Town’s Fire Aid for Ukraine!
Convoy of donated vehicles and equipment heads to Poland to assist front line services
A LEEK based charity is to be part of a large delivery of fire vehicles to be used in Ukraine.
Leek man Alf Wilson founded Staffordshire Emergency Services Humanitarian Aid Association (SESHAA) in 1995 and has been active in helping areas of the world that are affected by conflict, humanitarian, or natural disasters ever since.
The team are working in conjunction with Fire Aid, which is a UK registered charity providing fire and rescue equipment to fire services in 50 countries worldwide. They are now co-ordinating fire services across the UK to donate thousands of items of kit and equipment to Ukraine, to support firefighters on the frontline.
Mr Wilson, who is a retired fire officer and a former commander of the Staffordshire Moorlands for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, is also one of the four founder members of Fire Aid in London in 2012.
Just two weeks ago he travelled to Poland on a scoping mission to see what equipment was needed in Ukraine.
Last Saturday a team of 45 firefighters involving present and retired members took a convoy of 20 vehicles to Poland.
Mr Wilson said: “We were asked by the government office to go out and do a scoping visit to see what was going on at the border. We had great co-operation and partnerships with the Polish State Fire Service who have contacts to take a fleet of vehicles to Ukraine.
“We are taking 20 vehicles, including 16 fire engines which will be fully kitted out, two heavy goods vehicles and two vans.
“The heavy goods vehicles will be loaded with fire equipment and medical supplies and also the two vans. It is expected that the convoy will take two or three days.
“They have all been donated from fire services all over the UK. The vehicles are being made redundant, but they could have been sold.
“We have a team of 45 people, who are made up of serving and retired firefighters. Several of the crew will be from Staffordshire including serving and retired officers. We are also taking a medic and a doctor.
“The convoy of vehicles is going from London to the ferry and then driving through to Poland. We are being escorted through Germany to stop any congestion on the roads. The vehicles will go to a designated spot in Poland and then the Polish service will forward them on to Ukraine where they have contacts.
“British people always help out in a crisis. The scene on our scoping visit was terrible. Women and children did not know where to go. Many had left their husbands and sons in Ukraine to fight. The weather was minus four when we arrived and snowing. There were also tragic border scenes and the atmosphere was terrible.”