A life-saving Kenya fire service has been started after the donation of a fire engine from Bedfordshire.

 

Now three more fire engines lorries are being added to the original fire engine sent to Meru in 2008. 

 

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government has sent his thanks back to the people of Dunstable and to the Chief Fire Officer of Bedfordshire Paul Fuller.


The idea started with Fredrick Akandi who shared with a Church related-charity: the Onset Trust and Pastor Douglas Richards of Dunstable Community Church.


Gruelling


Then BLFRS Transport and Engineering Manager and retained fire-fighter Raymond Willett got involved. Only too aware that the fire engine is no use without a mechanic to keep it on the road, he and two colleagues travelled with the vehicle to Meru.


A gruelling but enlightening trip saw Ray and colleagues set up the first ever fire training course in 2008. Within days the fire crews had stopped a school fire spreading. Within weeks they had saved the lives of two children. Since then more than 70 fires have been tackled - fires which would otherwise have swept through communities who live closely together in wooden properties.


Joseph Githuka Njoroge was invited to the UK as a guest of BLFRS to undertake nearly seven weeks training to learn skills which he is now sharing back in Kenya.


















Support


Earlier this year, Fredrick Akandi a Kenyan who is a member of the Dunstable Community Church, and Ray Willett approached the Bedfordshire and Luton Combined Fire Authority (CFA) and said they has raised a further £3,000 and could they buy another two fire engines. The Authority decided to donate three vehicles to Onset Trust on condition that the £3,000 was used to fund additional initiatives in Kenya.


Chair of the Combined Fire Authority Cllr Sian Timoney said: "We have decided that the fantastic work by Fredrick, Ray, the charity and colleagues deserve our support."


The three vehicles will go to the towns of Meru, Maua and Mombasa. They will be followed in February next year by Ray and a party of 24 volunteers, including two Paramedics and five Community Fire Safety Officers, who will run training programmes and spread the community safety word.


by Jacquie  Manners