Joseph takes BLFRS training back to Kenya

Pic captions:
(1) Joseph being interviewed by Anglia TV
(2) Ray Willett shows Joseph the ropes
(3) Drilling in Kempston station yard
(4) At a shout in North Bedfordshire

A fire engine donated to a town called Meru in Kenya is already helping to save lives in the African country.

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service and the Combined Fire Authority decided to donate a vehicle, which was going out of service, and it was handed over in April 2009. Now one of the Kenyan firefighters who rides that truck is in the UK receiving top level training from BLFRS:

Joseph Githuka Njoroge, aged 27, is an electrician by trade and is one of ten firefighters who crew the fire applicance in Meru.

He arrived in UK on the weekend of March 6th and began activity on at Kempston fire station a few days later.

He has been on a series of “shouts” with firefighters to see a top British fire team in action.

After work he is spending time with friends from Dunstable Community Church* which was involved in the original idea of donating a fire engine to the town of Meru.

After BLFRS donated the vehicle last year, Transport and Engineering Manager and retained firefighter Ray Willett and colleagues joined representatives from the Dunstable church in travelling to Kenya to train the local firefighters and teach how to look after the vehicle.

Without a fire pump, firefighters are unable to operate. In the past other brigades have donated trucks to countries overseas, but soon they are off the road through lack of engineering expertise to keep them functional. Ray recognised this problem and so he and two colleagues (BLFRS workshops technician Michael Yawn and retained firefighter and AA man Colin Sheldon), at their own expense, travelled to Kenya to give the local firefighters some training.

There they met Joseph who was keen to learn more - and so arrangements were made for him to come back to the UK.

Speaking alongside his new friends at BLFRS, Joseph said: “We were very happy to receive the fire engine in Meru it already gets us to fires and accidents quicker and with better equipment.

“When I get back to Meru my challenge will be to keep the crew training, always training. As the firefighters do here in Bedfordshire.”

During his seven weeks here Joseph is undertaking a range of training from the workshops where he will learn to keep the fire truck on the road through: First Aid, Water Rescue, Line Rescue, Road Traffic Collisions, Community Safety, Small Equipment Maintenance, Personal Fitness and Driving.

Said Ray Willett: “I would like to say a big thank to all those for helping with Joe’s training and for giving him such a fantastic experience in the UK. He is just soaking up the information and really enjoying being part of BLFRS.”

*Joseph is leaving the UK on April 22nd - he is hoping to spend his final few days at Dunstable fire station close to his friends at the Dunstable Community Church.