Local news delivered daily to your email inbox. Subscribe for FREE to the rdnewsNOW newsletter.
(Alberta Society for Firefighters Abroad - Project Paraguay on Facebook)
passing on knowledge

Local firefighters share expertise in Paraguay

Nov 10, 2019 | 12:17 PM

Firefighters from central Alberta recently spent two weeks training their fellow emergency responders in Paraguay on a fire truck donated earlier this year by Dow Canada.

The truck was part of what was a seventh significant donation made by local fire departments to communities in the South American nation.

“In June, we shipped the firetruck that was donated by Dow to Paraguay. We also shipped equipment, tools and a support vehicle that were donated by numerous other supporters including; Sylvan Lake Fire Department, Firemaster Oilfield Services, Clearwater Regional Fire Services and Lacombe County Fire Services” said Eric Nicholas, Alberta Society for Firefighters Abroad board director.

“It was an incredible experience to see how appreciative the local departments were to receive the equipment and training. Helping to organize this training event was one of the highlights of my career and we were so thankful to work with a company like Dow who was willing to give a fire engine and to send one of their emergency responders to train people.”

Training for crews in Paraguay consisted of aerial operations, foam application, rural water evolutions, and other important skills. It primarily took place in the city of Encarnacion, which has a population of approximately 130,000. In total, 12 fire departments received training during the trip.

“The partnership with Dow started with Ed van Delden, a Dow retiree and the retired fire chief in the city of Lacombe,” added Nicholas. “This partnership, along with a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Lacombe proved invaluable for the success of the trip. This mission was a true partnership between industry, municipal emergency responders and community groups that ASFA is looking forward to continuing to grow with future projects.”

Photos and video of the training event in Paraguay, and information on how to get involved with ASFA is on the Alberta Society for Firefighter Abroad – Project Paraguay Facebook page.