What is an “Ultimate Firefighter Challenge”?  How about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with other firefighters and friends in December 2018, and at the same time benefitting Africa Fire Mission (AFM), one the best ‘firefighter to firefighter’ activities in the world?

Africa Fire Mission is a non-profit organization founded by firefighters in the Greater Cincinnati area, whose goal is to train, equip and empower the firefighters in Africa to meet the challenges of 21^st century firefighting. Currently, AFM volunteers from across the United States and Europe are working with Fire Brigades throughout Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia to distribute needed firefighting gear and to train fire brigades in those regions to a higher level of firefighter safety and community risk reduction. Africa Fire Mission has won several prestigious awards and grants from sponsors such as the Motorola Solutions Foundation. This “Ultimate Firefighter Challenge” not only provides you with the trip of a lifetime, but will also further the goal to better train and equip firefighters on the African continent and to ensure every firefighter has a set of personal protective equipment.

The dates of the trip are December 4^th to 16^th, 2018 and it is open to only 35 firefighters and friends.  The trip will be led by Fishers (IN) Fire Captain Todd Rielage (photo below), who has twice climbed Mount Rainier’s 14,440 feet in Washington state and in 2015 climbed Mount Kilimanjaro’s 19,340 feet – the highest spot in Africa.

The trip will cost $2,800 (tax deductible for the climber) plus airfare, passports visas, and necessary immunizations. A $ 500 deposit is required by June 28^th to be sent to the AFM to hold your place.

The “Ultimate Firefighter Challenge” also includes a commitment from each climber to raise $ 5,000 to support the work of Africa Fire Mission. The funds from the climb will be used to give firefighters across Africa their own sets of personal protective equipment (bunker gear) and training. With the monies raised from our climbing crews, you’ll be helping the AFM get closer to the ultimate goal of $ 150,000 to ensure that every firefighter in Africa has a set of PPE to make Africa and its firefighters safer from the perils of fire.

The monies each climber raises will directly transform lives, fire departments and communities. Africa Fire Mission will help you with tools and ideas for raising the money, while you work with friends, fellow firefighters, relatives as well as church and community groups who will support you as you climb for firefighters to the breath-taking top of Kilimanjaro.

More: http://www.africafiremission.org/

KEMPNER, Texas—The Kempner (TX) Volunteer Fire Department received a $191,000 grant through the Texas A&M Forest Service Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program. The cost-share grant was used to purchase a 2018 tender built on a Peterbuilt chassis with a 3,000-gallon water tank, 3,000-gallon drop tank, and a 1,000-gpm pump.

The tender, also known as a tanker in some regions, will help to increase the capacity of the department when responding to fires in areas where water supply is an issue.

“The newer subdivisions in our area have fire hydrants, but the older subdivisions do not have a ready water source,” said Kempner VFD Chief Dan Hause. “This new apparatus will allow the firefighters to have more water available for the initial attack when fighting grass or structure fires, increasing their potential to knock a fire down quickly.”

This tender is replacing a 1997 Dodge tanker that was starting to have transmission problems, and parts were hard to find. The new tanker will eliminate the need for repairs, is faster when responding, and delivers much more water. It will be the second out truck on all fires in the service area and when responding to mutual aid with other fire departments.

“This new addition will allow the Kempner Volunteer Fire Department to be better equipped, ensuring greater safety for the firefighters and the community,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator Gabe Mahlum.

The department worked diligently, having several fund raisers, to help with the cost-share portion. “The community has been very supportive by responding to fund raisers for this new tender and we are also grateful to Lampasas County and Texas A&M Forest Service for making the addition to our fleet possible,” said Hause.

For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, visit http://texasfd.com.