Fire Engines for Serbia

Fife Fireman Donates Engines For Serbia

A former Fife fire-fighter is donating three fire engines for use in Serbia, where the scarce equipment of emergency services means that help can take hours to arrive.

The machines are scheduled to leave Edinburgh on Thursday 3 May 2007 in a unique aid mission organised by Scottish charity Blythswood Care.

Gary Bennett from Rosyth who now runs his own firm Fire Prevention UK will be accompanied by seven other volunteers including a doctor, a first-aid instructor, a mechanic and a transport manager.

Blythswood’s logistics controller Finlay Mackenzie said: “When they get there, the team will provide a week’s intensive training on the use of breathing apparatus and pumps and the use of cutting gear as well as trauma training. They will also set up an ongoing training programme.”

Blythswood is looking for someone to sponsor the purchase of cutting equipment costing £400. Finlay Mackenzie explains: “In Serbia there is a desperate need for fully fitted fire engines which can respond to serious road traffic accidents. In part of the country, the nearest fire engine is four and half hours away – and that is in the summer when the roads are negotiable.

“These engines will have cutting equipment and trauma equipment so that they can save lives on the spot.

”The machines which are being fully serviced include one from Fife, one purchased from Tayside and one from Lothian and Borders. Gary Bennett has helped Blythswood Care before by volunteering to drive aid lorries to Eastern Europe. He says: “I’m glad to pay for some of this through my company, instead of putting names on football shirts.

” Blythswood Care is also sending heavy and light portable pumps to Bulgaria, to enable local authorities to save lives, homes and crops from severe flooding.

Donations towards the cutting equipment and £2,500 cost of transport can be made online at

• www.justgiving.com/fire-engines-2007 or
• by calling Blythswood Care’s 24 hour donation hotline
  on 0845 089 4081.
  

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• Blythswood Care