Vegreville Fire Department Donates Equipment to Ukraine

Vegreville Fire Department Donates Equipment to Ukraine

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

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Kevin Royle started Firefighter Aid Ukraine when he saw they were in dire need of equipment.

He’s shipped over tens of thousands of pieces of equipment and added 25 sets of turn out gear, helmets, boots, jackets, gloves, hoses, and stretchers to the list on March 19.

In the front row from left to right are: Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, Kevin Royle with Firefighter Aid Ukraine,and Councillor Jerrold Lemko. Back row left to right are: Fire ChiefChris Jardine, Andrew Firefighter Tracy Lupul, Mayor Tim MacPhee,Lieutenant Adam Denine, and Deputy Fire Chief Mark Lucas.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

“This stuff is light years ahead even to the new stuff they have when you compare it to our old stuff. We started the small packages program because of Covid restrictions it was very difficult to get large groups that we use to assemble to package and clean and organize and sort the equipment.

We have been finding target locations in the Ukraine for communities in need and we pair them with a donor here in Canada. So, it’s been quite successful. The equipment is shipped via air freight so we don’t have to worry about some of the other environmental concerns that we did when we shipped it over in containers.

I’ve been working with a network of communities here in Alberta to try to twin and sister them with a network of

communities in the Ukraine. By selecting communities that have similar geography, similar industry, and similar population sizes; all these essential things. Your council here in Vegreville has been doing a tremendous job of developing their own with their sister community Kolomyia.”

Read the full story in the March 24, 2021 edition of the News Advertiser - now online!

Some of the donated helmets.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)