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Strathcona County firefighters are donating their outdated gear to assist out firefighting efforts in Ukraine.
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Firefighter Dana Johnson, with Strathcona County Emergency Companies (SCES), stated this system was began by the Edmonton Firefighters Union (Native 209) eight or 9 years in the past and the Strathcona County union (Native 2461) have been concerned for about 5 years.
“I’m on the clothes committee with our fireplace division and one in all my roles is inspecting our gear, discovering out if there may be any harm if it may be repaired or if it wanted to get replaced, and that’s how I ended up with a stockpile of substances,” defined Johnson.
The donations, which have been despatched in April, will go to Firefighter Support Ukraine. Johnson stated he’s heard the Ukrainian firefighters are very appreciative.
Johnson defined that the newest donation was fairly a bit of substances that might not be utilized in Strathcona County, however it will likely be put to nice use in Ukraine.
“We donated 60 to 70 full units of fireside gear,” Johnson stated. “We additionally donated our uniforms that we put on. We change these very often as nicely as a result of put on and tear. We had a bunch of metal toe boots, fireplace retardant pants and shirts and we have been in a position to give a few of these issues as nicely however the bulk of the donation was the turnout gear.”
Johnson famous that among the gear the Ukraine firefighters are carrying is sort of outdated, some even from the Soviet period, and the donated gear from the county can be very useful, particularly with the rise in fires because of the battle in that nation.
“Earlier than we met up with the Edmonton Firefighters, we had a stockpile in one in all our fireplace halls and it was gear that was simply sitting there and never doing something so to have the ability to repurpose it, it’s positively a bonus,” he stated. “As a corporation, donating this stuff makes us really feel higher to assist them do their firefighter duties and never have to fret about unsafe gear.”
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Over the 5 years that the county firefighters have been concerned, plenty of gear has been donated.
“A tough estimate can be greater than 200 units of firefighter gear, which incorporates helmet, bunker jacket, bunker pants and the firefighting boots we put on,” Johnson stated. “We observe the Nationwide Firefighter Safety Affiliation (NFPA) and one in all their tips they promote for secure firefighting is that after 10 years the gear turns into expired as a result of over time use.”
Johnson stated he and Captain Jason Hoffos have been gathering gear from the hearth halls as there may be already extra gear accumulating as a result of expiry requirements and put on and tear, however they probably gained’t make one other donation till there may be extra.
“We’re fiscally accountable, however yearly we find yourself with new members who want new bunker gear. Normally within the spring, my clothes committee begins to build up extra gear. Now we have some now that will be a smaller cargo, however we’ll coordinate it with the Edmonton group to search out out when their airplane is out there and we’ll attempt to ship off something we will,” Johnson stated.
In April, Lamont County firefighters donated 20 units of bunker gear to the trigger.
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