From boots to air packs, the township’s fire district and companies are helping to save lives around the world.
Fire equipment once used by local first responders will soon save lives well beyond the Gloucester Township border.
In fact, the rescue gear will reach across oceans.
Last Tuesday, Mayor David Mayer, the Gloucester Township Office of Emergency Management, the Chews Landing Fire Company and the Blackwood Fire Company announced their latest act of heroism — donating used fire gear to the 911 Fund for the first time.
The nonprofit, which was established by former members of the Fire Department of the City of New York in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, collects second-hand emergency service materials and ships them to underserved countries around the world, including Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Haiti, Panama, Paraguay, Spain and South Africa.
Both the Chews Landing and Blackwood fire departments say, after learning about the fund, they could not refuse the opportunity to help.
“It makes all of us feel good to know that this equipment is gonna go to other countries to help firefighters down there who literally have nothing at the current time,” said Bill Robb, district administrator of the Chews Landing Company.
All the donated equipment, which features items from the Chews Landing Fire Company, Gloucester Township Fire District №2, the Blackwood Fire Company and Gloucester Township Fire District №4, are all considered out-of-date based on standards set by the National Fire Protection Association.
However, considering these specific requirements are only enforced in the United States, it gives the materials a second life.
“In the eyes of FEMA, they’re obsolete equipment, but they’re still usable in a different country. … It’s a great feeling,” Robb said. “We’re all about helping other people. That’s what we do in our community. And if we can help firefighters out from a different country, it’s just a great feeling.”
Robb says these local fire districts certainly intend to donate their old equipment to the fund in future years.
The slew of equipment, which Robb says he’d ordinarily discard, emcomapsses 18 sets of firefighter turnout gear, 13 pairs of firefighter boots, 100 Scott SCBA air masks, 125 SCBA air cylinders, two 5-inch hose adapters, one air blower, one rope rescue tool, 37 Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and miscellaneous hand tools.
Coincidently, the turnover of these items has unfolded at a convenient time, as just earlier this year, seven local districts received a nearly $1.2 million FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant, which covered the purchase of 204 self-contained breathing apparatuses, 408 air cylinders, 352 air masks and Pak Tracker wands.
“(These countries) could never get their hands on stuff like this,” said Roberto Nunez, president of the 911 Fund. “If it wasn’t for people like you guys that understand and support us, this would never be able to happen.”
After collecting the equipment, the organization divides the donations into containers and sends the items to countries in Central America, South America, Europe and Africa for no costs.
Mayer stressed how the act of this donation emulates the overarching purpose of firefighting — a brotherhood without boundaries.
“Instead of discarding this equipment, we’re repurposing it for the purpose to protect firefighters and civilians’ lives,” he said. “This helping hand of humanity transcends borders — for it unites fighters from our Gloucester Township community to firefighters from around the world.”
