UK firefighters to help Ukraine's emergency services on a convoy of fire trucks

Thousands of pieces of equipment on their way from the UK to Ukraine are being carried on fire engines by a convoy of fire engines.

The safety of the emergency services in Ukraine is Mike Pitney's top priority after the Russia invasion last month. With other volunteers, Pitney is bringing 22 vehicles including fire engines and lorries loaded with equipment.

A first delivery was sent to the country on March 11 by Fire Aid and the National Fire Chiefs Council.

Donations from fire departments across the UK form the second convoy, which left Ashford, Kent, on Saturday morning.

Claire Hoyland, project manager for the charity Fire Aid, said: “We gather decommissioned equipment from the UK fire and rescue services. So the equipment has reached the end of its life in the UK but it’s still perfectly usable.

We sent over stuff from every fire service in the UK to Ukraine, so the stuff will be vital for them to support their local communities and to keep the firefighters there safe."

19 March 2022