RBFRS And Avon Fire And Rescue Service Donate Fire Safety Equipment To The Gambia Fire And Ambulance Service

Royal Berkshire Fire Authority has donated a vehicle and a range of firefighting equipment to a charity partnership that works to assist the emergency response of The Gambia Fire and Ambulance Service.

The Gambia and Avon Fire Services in Partnership (GAFSIP) is a charitable trust between Avon Fire and Rescue Service and The Gambia Fire and Ambulance Service, which has been in existence since 1991. The GAFSIP partnership aims to preserve and protect health in The Gambia by enabling a life-saving and humanitarian service to benefit communities.

Dennis Elite Water Carrier tanker Vehicle

The vehicle donated is a Dennis Elite Water Carrier, which is a tanker that can be deployed quickly

The vehicle donated is a Dennis Elite Water Carrier, which is a tanker that can be deployed quickly, when local water resources cannot meet the requirements of an incident. It is designed to work with either one or two pumping appliances, and it is capable of carrying eight thousand liters of water or foam.

In addition to the water carrier, other de-commissioned, functional equipment has also been donated, such as light portable pumps, positive pressure ventilation fans (PPVs) and other ancillary equipment items.

RBFRS donates fire safety equipment

Councillor Colin Dudley, Chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority and Councillor Angus Ross, Lead Member for Strategic Assets, officially handed over the equipment, on behalf of the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), to Avon Fire and Rescue Service, who will arrange for the fire safety equipment to be delivered to The Gambia.

Councillor Angus Ross, Lead Member for Strategic Assets, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said, “I am delighted that we are able to make this donation to such a worthy cause through this partnership. We have a program of investment for maintaining our frontline equipment, as set out in our Strategic Asset Investment Framework. In line with the refresh of our assets, this additional equipment is now surplus to our needs, so we are happy to pass it on for the benefit of communities living in the Gambia.”

Partnership with The Gambian Fire and Rescue Service

Mick Crennell, Chief Fire Officer of Avon Fire and Rescue Service, and GAFSIP Trustee, said “As a Fire Authority and a service, we are honored and privileged to be able to have this partnership, with The Gambian Fire and Rescue Service."

We hope the donation of this equipment will be of direct benefit to emergency responders in The Gambia"

Mick Crennell adds, “I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, for donating their water carrier and essential fire safety equipment. It is only with donations such as these that we can continue to make such a difference to communities, in The Gambia.”

Councillor Colin Dudley, Chairman of Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, said “We hope the donation of this equipment will be of direct benefit to emergency responders in The Gambia and it also allows us to strengthen our partnerships, with other fire and rescue services, such as Avon Fire and Rescue Service, in this valuable undertaking.”

Keeping frontline safety equipment up-to-date

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) runs an equipment replacement process, in order to ensure that frontline equipment is kept up-to-date, at all times. By donating this safety equipment and extending its usable life, it not only helps other fire services, but also minimizes the environmental impact and avoids costly recycling processes.

The role of the Gambia and Avon Fire Services in Partnership (GAFSIP) is to coordinate and facilitate the shipping of donated fire, ambulance vehicles, and equipment, together with educational materials and spare parts as the need arises, as well as facilitate regular training visits.