Essex County Fire and Rescue Service donates fire engine to Ukraine

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) is set to donate a fire engine as part of the largest UK fire and rescue service convoy to support firefighters in Ukraine.

Three ECFRS colleagues are forming part of the convoy which will leave in April.

Coordinated by FIRE AID, and partners, the convoy is set to deliver vital firefighting equipment to Ukrainian firefighters, helping to replace crucial resources lost during the ongoing war.

The war in Ukraine has had a devastating impact on Ukrainian firefighters. Latest figures* from the State Emergency Services of Ukraine show that since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, 100 firefighters have been killed and a further 431 injured, whilst four are currently in captivity and one is missing. Meanwhile, 411 firehouses and 1,700 fire vehicles have been destroyed, and 95 firehouses are now in occupied territories. Despite these challenges, Ukrainian firefighters continue to operate in the war zone - not to engage in combat, but to save lives and protect property, often at great personal risk. 

Scott Meekings, National Resilience SPOC and Group Manager for the North East Command and Urban Search and Rescue Team said: “We’ve had an overwhelming response from our firefighters in volunteering their support for this crucial campaign.

“It takes a brave person to step forward and offer themselves up for a mission of this nature. It has made me feel immensely proud knowing that we have our whole workforce striving to make people’s lives that little bit safer on a global level, as we do every day with our local communities in Essex.”

In response, UK fire and rescue services (FRSs), in partnership with the UK Government, National Resilience, International Search and Rescue, FIRE AID, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), and the Fire Industry Association (FIA), have come together to support their Ukrainian counterparts.

English and Welsh FRSs have donated all the appliances and kit for the eighth convoy, which ranges from basic firefighting equipment such as hoses, PPE and road traffic collision equipment.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

* Figures correct as of 17 February 2025.

Details of the date and location of departure are not being announced at this stage for the purposes of security. Any media wishing to cover the departure/return of the convoy can contact the NFCC communications team (contact info below).

The convoy has been organised through a partnership of 16 fire and rescue services from England and Wales, the Home Office, National Resilience, International Search and Rescue, FIRE AID, National Fire Chiefs Council, and the Fire Industry Association.

Approximately 100 volunteers from FRSs and FIRE AID will take part in the convoy.

17 fire and rescue services from England and Wales are participating in the convoy, these are:

Buckinghamshire

Cheshire

Durham & Darlington

Essex

Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Hereford and Worcester

Humberside

Lancashire

London

Merseyside

Norfolk

Northumberland

South Wales

Staffordshire

Tyne & Wear

West Midlands

West Yorkshire

• Amongst the 30 vehicles being donated are 26 fire engines, two detection, identification and monitoring (DIM) vehicles, and two 4x4 vehicles. Four articulate lorries will also be used to transfer equipment. These are surplus equipment. Fire and rescue services have accounted for their own local needs and prioritised local safety before making these donations.
• The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is a charity and an independent membership association and the professional voice of the UK Fire and Rescue Service. NFCC supports fire and rescue services to help them to save lives and keep their local communities safe. 
• National Resilience is responsible for the mobilisation, coordination and monitoring of National Resilience (NR) assets in response to significant, serious or catastrophic incidents. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service assumed the lead authority role for National Resilience on behalf of the Home Office in 2016.
• FIRE AID is an umbrella organisation of fire and rescue NGOs carrying out humanitarian projects in low and middle-income countries. Its members deliver ethical and sustainable donations of decommissioned but usable fire and rescue equipment such as fire appliances, vehicles, rescue boats and kit, which may have otherwise been scrapped. This includes 11 fire engines and other equipment donated to fire services in Ukraine pre the Russian full-scale invasion. 
• The Fire Industry Association (FIA) is the UK's largest fire protection trade association, representing over 1,200 members. As a not-for-profit, we provide essential fire safety training, technical support, and industry guidance. The FIA works to shape legislation and professional standards, ensuring the continual advancement of fire protection methods and best practices.