Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service donates equipment to support Ukrainian firefighters

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is once again joining fellow fire and rescue services to deliver vital firefighting equipment to Ukraine in April.

A total of 30 fire and rescue vehicles, along with more than 15,000 pieces of essential equipment, are being donated by UK fire and rescue services in partnership with charity FIRE AID and the National Fire Chiefs Council. This includes 26 fire engines, hoses, protective, road traffic collision equipment and more to help Ukrainian firefighters continue their critical work. This is the eighth convoy sent by the UK since 2022, bringing the total donations to 119 vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of equipment.

From Cheshire three fire engines and equipment, surplus to operational requirements, are being sent next month. A team of nine staff have volunteered to take part in the convoy to get the vehicles to their destination in Eastern Europe.

Chair of Cheshire Fire Authority, Councillor Stef Nelson said:

“Our Ukrainian colleagues are working hard to save life and property in the most dire of circumstances, often at direct risk to their own lives. I am pleased that we can donate surplus equipment to their efforts. While this does not impact on the safety of residents of Cheshire, it can make a crucial difference to the brave firefighters in Ukraine and the communities they are trying so hard to help.”

The war in Ukraine has had a devastating impact on Ukrainian firefighters. Latest figures from the State Emergency Services of Ukraine show that since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, 100 firefighters have been killed and a further 431 injured, whilst four are currently in captivity and one is missing. Meanwhile, 411 firehouses and 1,700 fire vehicles have been destroyed, and 95 firehouses are now in occupied territories.

Despite these challenges, Ukrainian firefighters continue to operate in the war zone - not to engage in combat, but to save lives and protect property, often at great personal risk.