What to do with older bunker gear that’s outlived regulations, but is still perfectly useful? Why not send it to your sister city?
That was the idea behind Snoqualmie Sister City Association’s recent shipment of several bags of surplus firefighter equipment to Chaclacayo, Peru, and to the surrounding Lima District, analogous to King County.
Snoqualmie Fire Department must replace its equipment and clothing every five to 10 years. The old gear can’t be used, per regulations.
“We usually throw it in the dumpster,” said Fire Chief Mark Correira.
In talking with Sister Cities Association President Tina McCollum, he found that the equipment could enjoy a second life overseas.
“It’s expensive gear,” the chief said. “So we want to make sure we get every last ounce of life. The gear is still serviceable.”
So, used bunker gear, backboards, splints and bags made a recent trip to Chaclacayo, hauled by McCollum. The gear will be used by firefighters in Peru. All volunteers, they are responsible for purchasing their own equipment, says Correira, so the donation—which doesn’t cost Snoqualmie a dime—is a big boon.
“Protective gear is most expensive in Peru, and difficult to purchase,” McCollum told the Record. “Most volunteer firefighters will have another job or two to support their volunteer firefighting services within their community. The philosophy is to serve, protect home, family, community. These Peruvian firefighters give freely of themselves to protect, with no compensation.”
Now, Snoqualmie fire department is exploring other connections with their Peruvian counterparts, including a firefighter exchange. Firefighters would sponsor their own trips, flying to Peru with the Sister Cities Association, staying in a firehouse, and working with teams there.
“We’re going to focus on bringing them specialized CPR and defibrillation training,” Correira said. “What better thing than to bring than our lessons we’ve learned.”
The idea of a firefighting exchange began last summer during a visit with Jorge Gomez, a volunteer firefighter, a professor at Lima University, and a private business owner. Peruvian Consul Gen. Miguel Velasquez was excited at the prospect of creating a firefighter exchange, and connected with the city and the association, leading to the bunker gear donation.
The sister cities association is looking for interested firefighters from the greater Snoqualmie Valley-Eastside area to join in on a tour to Peru, April 3 through April 12, 2015, during spring break.
The visit includes tours of ancient Incan ruins including Machu Picchu, community service with orphanages, and a “firehouse stay” exchange program. Students, teachers, and parents traveling at the same time do home stays.
This April tour is open to adults, teachers, firefighters, students, and other interested adults.
The association is also working to help Chaclacayo’s schools and orphanages, reaching out for additional fire and computer equipment, as well as financial donations for food, baby formula, supplies for orphanages, and learning centers. Donations also sponsor adults and students who want to travel to the sister city.
“We are hoping for more equipment from our local fire departments to be donated to our sister city,” McCollum told the Record.
One major need is an ambulance. Medical services are limited there, McCollum said. There is no ambulance or public defibrillator, only small clinics.
Other exchanges
Currently, the sister cities association is seeking host families for two exchanges in 2015.
The organization is also gearing up for several trips by locals to Korea and Peru next year.
In April, a group of students and chaperones will spend 10 days in Peru, visiting the sister city of Chaclacayo as well as Lima, Cuzco and the ruins of Machu Picchu, going to the high school for two days, and visiting farms, an orphanage, a Peace Corps training school and other sites. The cost is $3,200.
Band students are going on a six-day music festival tour to the Celadon Youth Festival in Snoqualmie’s sister city of Gangjin, Korea. That trip, July 26 to August 1, is being coordinated with local community jazz organizations.
To learn more, contact Tina McCollum at valent6222@aol.com or Russell Maw at russellmaw@hotmail.com.
