Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) will soon join 17 other Fire and Rescue Services from across the UK to deliver vital firefighting equipment to Ukrainian firefighters, and help replace crucial resources that have been lost during the ongoing conflict in the country.
Coordinated by FIRE AID and partners, and supported by His Majesty’s Government, the convoy will depart in April 2025 and will be the largest ever convoy of UK Fire and Rescue Services.
Delivering over 30 Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) vehicles, carrying more than 15,000 pieces of equipment donated by various UK FRSs, the convoy will add to the 119 vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of equipment that have already been donated since the invasion in Ukraine began in 2022.
The donated resources will provide valuable support to Ukrainian Firefighters, who continue to operate in the war zone, to save lives and protect property and not to engage in combat, which is often done at great personal risk. Since the start of the war, 100 Firefighters have been killed and 431 have been injured, meanwhile 411 Fire Stations and 1,700 fire vehicles have been destroyed.
FRSs across Wales and England have donated all the appliances and kit for the convoy, which ranges from basic firefighting equipment such as hoses, personal protection equipment and road traffic collision tools and equipment. Around 100 volunteers from the UK’s FRSs and FIRE AID will participate in the convoy.
Speaking on MAWWFRS participating in the convoy to Ukraine, Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM said:
“MAWWFRS is proud to form part of this latest convoy to Ukraine and to support the donation and delivery of vital firefighting equipment to our Ukrainian colleagues.
The events in Ukraine have resonated across the FRS community and this convoy highlights the ongoing commitment of the UK’s FRSs to supporting the country’s Firefighters.”
The convoy will begin making its way across Europe in April 2025, before donating their surplus equipment, each Fire and Rescue Service have accounted for their own local needs and prioritised local safety.
Image from the 2024 convoy to Ukraine.
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This convoy sounds like a powerful statement of solidarity among fire and rescue teams—would love to know more about the mission or cause they’re supporting. It’s encouraging to see such unity across services on a national level.