Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 28/08/2009 08:33

Photo and interview opportunity

9.09am 09.09.09

At 9.09am on 9 September 2009, Cornwall Council’s cabinet member for stronger communities Lance Kennedy, Rotarian District Governor Ken Edmunds and other Rotarians will be at Liskeard Community Fire Station to witness the departure of the first of two well stocked reconditioned fire appliances on its journey to Albania.

Cornwall County Fire Brigade has joined forces with The Overseas Project Team (OPT) of District 1290 of Rotary International (Cornwall, Plymouth & West Devon), to provide two towns in Albania with fire and rescue equipment and to help Camborne Firefighter Dave Harvey realise his dream of providing fully equipped fire appliances to Albania.

The first of the two appliances will set off to Krume in Northern Albania and will kick start the setting up of a brand new fire station. The appliance will be in convoy with the Rotary’s Overseas Project Team van and trailer, driven by members of the Lostwithiel Rotary Club, who are going on to Gjakova in Kosova taking equipment to Handikos, a centre for paraplegic and paralysed children.

Firefighter Dave Harvey, whose wife is originally from Albania, has seen at first hand the depleted state of fire fighting equipment in the country, where vehicles are in a poor state and are not equipped with breathing apparatus. Rotary’s Overseas Project Team has the experience of several projects in Kosova and one of its members, Rtn Barry Kressinger has recently returned from Northern Albania where he visited numerous medical centres and discussed fire and rescue services with local and government officials.

The OPT has vast experience and working knowledge of overseas projects, so joining forces with personnel from CCFB, the project team has the skills needed to make the project a success.

The convoy will travel through twelve different countries in all, with crews now having secured accommodation at two fire stations along the route. Each appliance, one based at Liskeard and one at Camborne, has a team working on it, including past and present employees of CCFB and members of the OPT, all giving up their time and money to make sure the trip runs as smoothly as possible.

Dave Harvey said “I would like to thank all those involved in the project. Seeing what was once a dream now turning into reality is a breathtaking experience, one which I hope will get to be more and more rewarding once the appliances are delivered to those who need them most.”

Rotarian Barry Kressinger added “This is our Rotary team’s 33rd project over the past few years. We have provided aid – medical; emergency vehicles and building work – in Belarus, The Balkans, The Republic of Georgia and Ghana. We would like to extend our thanks to CCFB Brigade Engineer Mike Clayton for all his efforts in both this project and for his invaluable assistance in previous fire vehicle related projects. This trip will also have Gary Robinson joining us as part of his degree course at Truro College. His account of his experiences will allow others to see the value of the work we are undertaking both in Albania and Kosova”.

Cornwall Council cabinet member for stronger communities Lance Kennedy said: “I am delighted that this initiative will allow our Firefighters to share with their counterparts in Albania, not only the appliances and equipment they have worked so hard to obtain, but also their knowledge and expertise to help in the setting up of a new fire station.”

A second appliance will depart on 12 September to Lac, just north of Albania’s capital Tirana, and will be in constant contact with all other travelling vehicles and with the base in Cornwall. Both appliances have been prepared, cleaned, serviced and stocked with kit donated from Operation Florian, a national fire service charity, and other Fire Industry sources from all corners of the UK.

The trip team will consist of Dave Harvey, Simon Jose, Paul James and Roger Watson from the Rotary Club of Redruth and the Liskeard team of Rob Collins, John Hutchens and Alan Constance. Assisting both teams are Peter and Gary Robinson, along with a standby driver, Roy Hooper of Launceston. The Rotary OPT van will be driven by Lostwithiel Rotarians Vic May, Roddy McDonald and John Hurst.