Generous donation helps Calgary firefighter send specialized equipment to firefighters in Ukraine
Specialized equipment no longer needed by the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) is being sent to firefighters in Ukraine thanks to a generous donation from an Alberta entrepreneur.
Capt. Dean Krupa with CFD volunteers with the local chapter of Firefighter Aid Ukraine in his spare time. For the last few months, he has been looking for donations to purchase 30 portable jaws of life —extrication equipment that is not accessible to many firefighters in Ukraine.
The price tag, including shipping, is $50,000.
“With the war effort that's going on there, those firefighters are still doing their job in conditions that I can't even begin to imagine,” Krupa said.
Debora Rice-Salomons, who runs Mountain View Events at The Heritage Centre, heard about the initiative from a young firefighter who attended a wedding at her venue.
From there, she had a meeting with Krupa and offered to front the money now and host a 1950s-themed Vegas casino night at her venue on New Year’s Eve to support it.
“Really was impressed with what this group is trying to do. And so, I felt it was really important for me to step up and help not only the Alberta community, but also the community of Ukraine firefighters,” Rice-Salomon said.
Krupa said her eagerness to help “just about knocked me out of my chair.”
Thanks to the donation, 17 crates of equipment and protective gear, weighing 9,000 pounds, has been packed up and is ready to be shipping to Poland any day now.
“These tools are even more valuable now for them. So, to be able to provide that for them, I can’t tell you what that means to me,” Krupa said.
Krupa and others with Firefighters Aid Ukraine will be flying to Poland in early November to bring the shipment to Ukraine.
They will also spend a few days training firefighter there how to operate the jaws of life.
“Being able to go to Ukraine as a Ukrainian and seeing what’s going on there right now and be able to do this project and help those firefighters, it’ll be life changing, I have no doubt,” Krupa said.
As for the New Year’s Eve fundraising event in support of Firefighter Aid Ukraine, tickets can now be purchased on Eventbrite.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.