(Alberta Society for Firefighters Abroad - Facebook)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

en route to south america

Paraguay getting seventh donation of equipment from central Alberta firefighters

Jun 24, 2019 | 6:20 PM

A city in Paraguay is benefiting once again from the generosity of firefighters in Alberta.

It was announced Monday that for the seventh time, the Alberta Society for Firefighters Abroad will send a truck to the South American nation, specifically to the city of Encarnación.

Eric Nicholas, society board member and Lacombe Fire member, describes the appreciation they receive as ‘wild.’

“The support, the backing and the encouragement is unreal coming from the fire departments and the communities,” says Nicholas.

“Every time we go to a new town, it’s a priority for the fire departments for them to be able to show support by having an appreciation event for us, even getting out the mayors, and we’ve had a senator show up. It blows us away how much an impact it’s making down there.”

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During a recent trip to Paraguay, Nicholas visited a community where their only apparatus was a modified minivan for both rural and municipal firefighting.

In Encarnación, a burgeoning city with high-rises, it’s vital that they are able to come by whatever working equipment they can. This time, they’re getting an aerial apparatus formerly used by Dow Chemicals in the Fort Saskatchewan area.

“When we go down there and we talk to people, it would be with a translator of course, but whenever were dealing with fellow firefighters there or anywhere, it’s the exact same calibre as anyone in our local departments,” he says.

“They have basic training, and we try to help advance their technical abilities, but we find down there the camaraderie, and it’s referred to as a family. We try to build with that atmosphere, and the sense of pride we get out of each project is actually seeing the impact, keeping in touch with the members down there. It’s an incredible network that we’re getting to build.”

The truck’s journey starts this week by heading to Vancouver, and then it takes around three months to arrive at its destination. Once there, members will travel down for training sessions with the local firefighters. The shipment also includes a sea container full of other donated equipment and tools.