Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 14/06/2010 08:45

A fundraising drive is underway to raise money by the Rotary International Overseas Project Team District 1290 to send a decommissioned 4 wheel drive Landrover fire appliance vehicle, donated by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), to the town of Pukes in Northern Albania.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service are once again joining forces with The OPT of District 1290 (Cornwall, Plymouth & West Devon) and the local Rotary Club of Bodmin on the project to send this vehicle which will begin its journey from Bodmin on 1 July 2010.

Money for much needed supplies and fuel for the appliance is being sought by members of the Rotary Club who will be out and about in Cornwall to raise awareness of the project. Donations can also be made by contacting Peter Old on 01208 72506/832333 or Rotarian Barry Kressinger on 01566 776136.

The project is being headed up by the Rotary Club of Bodmin and three of its members, Peter Old, Peter Melmoth and Peter Robinson will be driving a flatbed lorry carrying the vehicle which will give much needed assistance to setting up a fire station in Pukes.

The OPT appliance is being prepared, cleaned, serviced and stocked with kit donated from many fire industry sources from all corners of the UK and with some assistance from the National Florian Project.

Past projects carried out with assistance from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service includes two convoys to Albania and Kosova in September 2007 and 2009.

This project will take the Landrover through four different countries, France, Switzerland, Italy and its final destination of Pukes in Northern Albania. The route-almost 1700 miles-will take the team from Bodmin to Dover across to Calais through Switzerland and Italy to Bari, from there an overnight ferry to the port of Durres close to the capital city of Tiranë. The last leg of the journey will be 100 miles up into the mountains of Northern Albania where the roads become more narrow and difficult to negotiate.

The appliance based at Bodmin has a team from the local Rotary Club working on it, including past and present employees of CFRS and members of the OPT, all giving up their time and money to make sure the trip runs as smoothly as possible.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Way of Working manager and Rotarian Peter Robinson is involved in the project and said “The vehicle is a 4x4 Landrover that is over 20 years old. It has been used exclusively within Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service and has been de-commissioned and donated by CFRS for export by the Rotary International OPT District 1290 to Albania. The appliance carries a light portable pump and basic fire fighting equipment and carries 50 gallons of water. The use of the light portable pump is paramount to supply water for fire fighting from a separate open water source such as a river or pond. This is primarily a transporter of fire fighting kit and personnel, particularly over rough terrain, exactly what is needed for the towns and villages in the mountains of Northern Albania.”

Cornwall Council cabinet member for community safety Lance Kennedy said: “I am pleased to support this project which, as previously, seeks to take a redundant vehicle and apply a great deal of voluntary effort to give a community what we take for granted. What we take for granted others are in desperate need of, fire cover is for us only a phone call a way, other communities desperately need this help to increase their fire protection."

Rotarian Barry Kressinger added “We would like to extend our thanks to CFRS Engineer Mike Clayton for all his efforts in both this project and for his invaluable assistance during our previous trips to Kosova in 2007 and 2009.

If anyone would like any further information please contact Barry Kressinger on 01566 776136.