Fire Safety Friends of Russia: Working Together with our Russian Colleagues Saving Lives and Improving International Relations

WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR RUSSIAN COLLEAGUES SAVING LIVES AND IMPROVING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

British Ambassador to Russia Dr Laurie Bristow comments:-

“People-to-people links are an essential part of the relationship between the UK and Russia. The Fire Safety Friends Of Russia are a great example of this. They help keep the public safe by sharing expertise with Russia’s Fire and Rescue Services and maintaining links with civic, school and youth organisations. I commend their work.” 05-01-17

Visiting Russian children with Lord Truscott in Westminster Hall.

Our work, commenced in 2001 and in continuous progress, is aimed at reducing the extremely high loss of life and injury in Russia due to fires and road incidents, nearly 40,000 deaths in 2012 and damage to the environment due to wild fires. We cooperate by invitation with our Russian colleagues in the Russian fire and rescue services assisting with improving capability in fire fighting, rescue (including air search and rescue) and medical response to incidents. We do this by means of sustainable technical assistance including reappraisal of current strategies, training and equipment as agreed necessary. All technical cooperation, including medical, is provided by highly qualified UK based people. We are currently liaising with the emergency services in Moscow, Kursk, Archangelsk and St Petersburg. To keep costs to a minimum, we try to use modern communications systems when appropriate for technical cooperation rather than physical visits.

 
Linking the Sea and Royal Marine cadets at TS Vanguard, Worthing, with Sea Cadets at School 18  Kursk assisted by the Mayor of Worthing and Cllr. Murphy, Worthing.

We also assist with the development of civic, cultural and business links including liaison with  Kursk Administration, Arkhangelsk Administration and the Russian Peace Foundation in Kursk, Archangelsk and Moscow. As with the fire and rescue work, we are continuously active with this work encouraging links with local authorities, schools and youth organisations in the UK.

 
Linking the Sir Robert Woodard Academy School, Lancing with School 27 Kursk. A visit by SRWA pupils to Kursk was organised by International Activities teacher Guy Williams.

An example of our work encouraging people to people links was a visit to the Houses of Parliament by Russian school children from Kursk on 19th July arranged by Lord Truscott of St James’s, Patron of Fire Safety Friends Of Russia. Lord Truscott spent some time talking to the children and meeting Natalia Zheleznyakova (yellow top) and Chris Holgate (blue shirt), Founder of FSFOR. Natalia created the first link for Chris with the Russian Fire Service.  Our grateful thanks to the Rt. Hon the Baroness Evans for taking the photo in Westminster Hall. This has been reported through the British Embassy social media with a very satisfying response from our Russian friends.