In March 2018, supported by the UK government’s Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), two fire appliances and associated equipment were donated to Tiraspol and Bender following a 1700 mile snowy journey from the UK.

The delighted firefighters received two fully equipped fire-fighting vehicles with a full complement of road crash rescue equipment and personal protective equipment. The donation included enough breathing apparatus to equip the entire fire service on the left bank of the Nistru river. The donation was managed and facilitated by FIRE AID members Operation Florian and EASST to the Fire Safety Unit of Tiraspol.

The delivery of the vehicles (donated by East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service), rescue equipment, personal protective equipment and breathing apparatus was accompanied by an intensive training programme delivered by volunteers from Operation Florian. There was a particular focus on improving the emergency response to road traffic collisions using the three newly donated road crash rescue kits. The firefighters were also trained on causality care, pumps and ladders and driver familiarisation.

The training concluded with a demonstration event attended by many high profile guests including the deputy UK Ambassador to Moldova and Ben Luckock the Regional Eastern Partnership Portfolio Manager for CSSF. The event brought together the training to demonstrate fire response and how the crews would respond to a road traffic collision using the newly donated equipment. 

The main goal of the donation and training, supported by the British Embassy Chisinau, was to contribute to a strengthened emergency response in saving lives and property, and protecting emergency personnel in Tiraspol where resources for response were previously limited.

The project is a great example of cooperation between all the involved partners, including the General Inspectorate of Emergency Situations (GIES) of the Republic of Moldova, the Bureau for Reintegration, Protect MD Foundation, as well as the responsible bodies from Tiraspol who all provided support in facilitating these activities.

These activities were made possible thanks to the financial support of the UK government’s Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). The team would also like to thank all the volunteers for giving their time and expertise.