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Lacombe firefighters ship more aid to Paraguay

May 5, 2017 | 3:36 PM

The Lacombe Firefighter’s Association is once again changing the way of life for a fellow department in Paraguay.

For the fourth time, the organization is sending a fire engine and giant crates of gear to the South American nation, this time to a town called Natalio.

“We are also sending a third crate of tools and equipment that will be distributed to three other fire departments in the same region,” noted association President Eric Nicholas.

The gift will also mark the third occasion in which members from Lacombe will travel to Paraguay to provide training.

Lacombe Mayor Steve Christie, a former member of the Lacombe Fire Department, joked that this donation is bittersweet.

“I spent 12 years working with this apparatus, and know it to be both dependable and reliable,” he said. “I am delighted that it will continue to serve on the front lines, and help protect the citizens of Natalio.”

Christie also pointed out the disparity between fire protection in Natalio, a town of 21,000 people currently with just one fire engine, and Lacombe, a city of 13,000 with a “barn full.”

Other contributors to the current mission include the City of Lacombe, Lacombe County, A Better World Canada, Lacombe Signmasters and Fire Master. Sylvan Lake Fire Department also donated thermal imaging equipment and Nova Chemicals chipped in an extrication setup.

“This donation is an enormous benefit for our fire department and the residents of Natalio, and we thank everyone involved in this project for helping to make our community more resilient,” added Ramon Prieto, President of the Board of the Cuerpo de Bomberos Voluntarios de Natalio.

The shipment leaves from Vancouver On May 8 and is expected to arrive in 60 to 90 days, at which time local members will travel south.