As well as basic firefighting equipment, the container also held 800 breathing apparatus sets.
IFRA chairman David Kay OBE said: ”The Fire service in Paraguay is run by volunteers who rely heavily on donations such as these to operate effectively. In this country you telephone 999 and get a speedy response from a well trained professional and well equipped fire service. In Paraguay, when you telephone the emergency services, although the volunteers have lots of enthusiasm, the reality is they have very few fire engines and equipment and lack basic training. The equipment in this container will prepare many of the City Brigades we are assisting through the Junta Nacional (the National Board of Firefighters).
“The vital equipment we are sending is redundant equipment no longer in use in this country but still safe to use. It will go a long way to making the job of the volunteers easier and safer and also to help save lives in the country. We are very grateful to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for donating this equipment and continuing to support IFRA.”
The charity, based in Dunfermline, has sent over 80 vehicle (fire appliances, ambulances and 4×4 rescue vehicles) to 19 countries, 47 containers to four continents and has also completed 57 training missions.
Once the containers arrive, a team of firefighters will be sent to carry out training with the firefighters in The Junta Nacional. This is part of an ongoing programme of assistance with the Paraguayan Fire Service.
Area Manager John Dickie said” We are very proud to support IFRA and extremely happy that the BA sets we have donated will continue to help protect fellow Firefighters in both Mexico and Paraguay, the SFRS will continue to support IFRA in every way we can.”
For more information on how you can assist check out the website www.ifra.co.uk or contact dave@ifra.co.uk
For more information, go to www.ifra.co.uk
From L-R Evelyn Vera-Barreto Head of Education and International Cooperation from the Mexican Embassy in London, David Kay OBE Chair IFRA, Roddy Mackinnon Scottish Equipment Manager and SFRS Area Manager John Dickie.
Photo by David Wardle
