Alberta firefighters donate gear to support new fire department in rural Chile

Alberta firefighters are donating their old equipment to support a new fire department in rural Chile.

The small, farming community of San Juan de la Costa in southern Chile has about 10,000 residents and until recently, no fire department.

About 25 to 35 firefighters make up the town's new volunteer fire brigade, which is funded entirely by local donations.

Ricardo Bernerspent 10 years as a volunteer firefighter in Chile's capital, Santiago,and five years as a volunteer firefighter in Waterton, B.C., once he moved to Canada. When he heard about San Juan de la Costa's plight, he had to help.

"It's very sad to see people going to fight fires with no proper clothes," Berner said. "Communities, they go fight fires with buckets. I cannot believe that. They go in a van, with buckets, and that is impossible."

Berner organized a donation drive through the TaberLions Club. Firefighters from the M.D. of Taber and Town of High River, as well as a retired captain from the Calgary fire department, are contributing to the cause.

"This is a job that really requires equipment and protective gear for us to make a difference," said Lance Bushie, the fire chief for the Town of High River.

"These departments down there are all on their own;there's not a lot of support from government agencies and whatnot."

Bunker gear the equipment that protects firefighters from flames, heat and other hazards costs $3,500 per set, a fee that Bushie called "unattainable" for the Chilean fire crew.

"It's expensive, basically out of reach for departments that are purely volunteer and raising their own funds to go out and help their community," he said.

The High River Fire Department is donating 35 sets of bunker gear, as well as boots, hoses and a 1960sgenerator, among other items to the department.

The gear is considered too old by Canadian standards older than 10 years but is otherwise in great condition, Bushie said.

"It's great that we're able to help not just another community but another set of firefighters," Bushie said.

"The town has received so much help since the floods, the whole department feels good that they now get to pay this forward to another agency."

Berner said the shipping container, which they will send on Sept. 8, is the fifth he's sent with supplies to rural communities in Chile, and the largest shipment of firefighting equipment.

"This is gold to us," he said. "Thanks to the Canadian people, thanks to High River, for this wonderful donation.I'm grateful and from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much."

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With files from Dave Gilson