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Committee asked to support fire-fighting in Bulawayo

A charity providing equipment and training to improve fire fighting and rescue capabilities is seeking a £2,000 grant from Aberdeen City Council for work in Bulawayo.

Members of the Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee are to consider a range of grant applications from the International Twinning Budget, when they meet on Tuesday [31 January].

Among them is an application for £2,000 towards the project being carried out by UK fire service humanitarian charity Operation Florian in Aberdeen’s twin city of Bulawayo. The money would be used for transportation costs.

Grampian Fire and Rescue Service firefighters will be in the Zimbabwean city from March 15 until 4 April, training local firefighters and donating fire-fighting apparatus.

Operation Florian, a UK charity, works to promote the protection of life amongst communities in need world-wide. It provides equipment and training to improve fire-fighting and rescue capabilities.

Grampian members of the charity visited Bulawayo with Manchester colleagues last year, when they discovered the equipment being used was past its best and potentially dangerous.

On seeing how much training and assistance was needed, they decided to return to Bulawayo and have submitted an application for funding to support a return trip.

Their objectives for the project include delivering breathing apparatus and road traffic accident courses and improving community fire safety. Operation Florian will also be donating two fire appliances to Bulawayo’s fire-fighting services.

The report to be considered by councillors states: “Aberdeen’s twinning link with Bulawayo has been dormant for the past few years and this is an opportunity to maintain the relationship.

“It would promote the image of Aberdeen and Grampian Fire and Rescue services, our support of humanitarian work overseas and benefit the people of Bulawayo in the long-term.”

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