Fife based fire service charity sends three more vehicles to help crews in Argentina

International Fire and Rescue Association (IFRA), Scotland’s biggest international fire service charity, this week donated its 111th, 112th and 113th fire appliance to fire services abroad.

The charity, which has been running for 21 years, works to help emergency services in countries affected by war or civil unrest, helping provide vehicles, equipment and training to ensure they can continue saving lives.

A naming ceremony was held for the charity’s latest three appliances on Sunday before they began their 7000 mile journey to start their second lives serving as frontline fire and rescue appliances in Argentina.

The vehicles were given the names Lord Lieutenant Robert Balfour (the 111th vehicle); Jim Leishy Leishman MBE (the 112th vehicle) and Fifer (the 113th vehicle).

The appliances from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will go on to provide protection for the citizens in Argentina for many more years.

Fife Provost Jim Leishman MBE attended the naming ceremony on behalf of Fife Council.

David Kay OBE, chairman of IFRA and founder of the charity, said: “It’s a great honour for us to have Provost Jim Leishman at our headquarters in Thornton to name these three appliances after both himself and Lord Lieutenant Robert Balfour and not forgetting after our fantastic region of Fife with ‘Fifer’.

"These appliances will go on to save many lives in Argentina after a full operational life doing the same in Scotland. We are grateful for the support from Fife Council, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and both Lord Lieutenant Robert Balfour and Provost Leishman without whom we could not help carry out our role in assisting these countries.”

Over the years IFRA has sent vehicles and containers of vital lifesaving equipment to 25 countries around the world as well as helping with training missions in each of these countries to help crews there to use the equipment safely.