Fire Trucks Donated to Nicaragua

The latest humanitarian effort for Nicaragua includes a donation of new firetrucks to the country where there is a desperately short supply of firetrucks. These trucks are coming from fire departments in Prince Rupert and Skagway, Alaska. The fire trucks were sold at a reduced price and the money was collected by fund raising for Nicaragua. Fund raising for Nicaragua is done by concerned people and humanitarian groups who know of the situation of the economy of Nicaragua and do what they can to help the people of Nicaragua. What will also help the Nicaraguan economy is the growing tourism industry. This news article comes from The Kamloops News.

“Fire trucks are in short supply in Nicaragua, which is why Fire and Rescue’s latest humanitarian effort will see three of the rescue vehicles shipped there.

“Fire trucks are desperately needed there,” said Dave Sakaki of the fire service’s Operation Nicaragua.

The engines were donated or purchased at a reduced price from fire departments in Prince Rupert and Skagway, Alaska. He said the money was fund raised.

The vehicles will aid fire brigades in the Chinandega province in Northern Nicaragua. Sakaki has visited fire halls during a previous trip and found most are ill equipped and don’t have working fire engines.

“They use buckets,” he said. “They are pretty efficient — as efficient as you can be with buckets.”
Mike Martin is a firefighter in Whitehorse who helped track down the fire trucks. He arrived in Kamloops on Thursday with the engine from Prince Rupert.

Martin said the trucks were built in the 1970s and, a few mechanical problems aside, are in good condition. The vehicles will undergo a mechanical inspection before they leave the country.

Like Sakaki, Martin has spent time in Nicaragua and saw the need firefighters there have for good equipment. He said teaming up with the Kamloops effort was a no-brainer.

The trucks will be shipped via Gearbulk, an international shipping company with which Operation Nicaragua has partnered. They leave Vancouver Aug. 26 and arrive in Guatemala on Sept 12.

Sakaki and a team from Kamloops will drive the vehicles into Chinandega province, a journey of about two days, he said.”

It is good to know that concerned people and groups are helping Nicaragua to get on its feet again economically. Nicaraguan tourism will be the key to the recovery for the Nicaraguan economy.

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