A large piece of equipment in Manitoba is making the trek to South America.
The city of Selkirk posted online they’re working to send a retired firetruck to a village in Brazil.
After a search on Facebook, the city stumbled on a program called Firefighters Without Borders Canada (FWBC).
FWBC works with developing nations to find emergency equipment for communities that need it.
“The community in Brazil where the truck is going, their fire department right now responds to fires in a Ford Escort, a small five-seat compact car. They were high on Firefighters Without Borders Canada’s priority list to get something done,” Fire Chief Craig Fiebelkorn said in a press release.
The 1989 Ford F800 firetruck would have needed to be re-certified in Canada, which would cost about $25,000, according to Fiebelkorn. Fiebelkorn said donating the truck was a more feasible option.
“The truck still works but without it being certified, we really couldn’t donate it to anyone in Canada,” Fiebelkorn said.
FWBC said all equipment undergoes a thorough exam before being put to use.
The City of Selkirk said there is no cost to donate the truck, as CN Rail will pay for the cost to ship it to Ontario.
From there, the village in Brazil will work with a Rotary group and the Brazillian Navy to transport the truck further.
The city of Winnipeg will also contribute used firefighting gear to the Brazilian community.
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