Adams Fire Co Engine 1 Donation
In 2013, Responders On A Mission took possession of a donated pumper from Niagara County. Adams Fire Company donated their old E1 to the group knowing it would go to a good cause. Brandon and Mike met with United States Air Force Officials and after the meeting, the USAF agreed to fly the pumper to the Dominican at no cost to the group.
On March 20th, 2015, Brandon and a contingent from Adams Fire Company drove the pumper to the Air Force Base in Niagara Falls, NY. The truck was then loaded on a C-5 aircraft, and flown to the Dominican. WGRZ News in Buffalo did a story on the group, and you can view it in the viewer to the right.
Brandon, Mike, and Bill Nalbone, a Chief from Adams Fire Company, traveled down to the Dominican on April 9, 2015. At this time, the truck was still not released from Dominican Customs, as there was a paper work issue because the truck came through the US Air Force, and not normal shipping routes. The team felt helpless and began to pray that the trip would not be a waste.
The next morning, Dr. Jhonny, a retired member of the Dominican Air Force, got the team an audience with the Director of Dominican Customs. The team met for an hour with the official, and then got the seal of approval to release the truck. The journey to the Dominican Air Force Base was a joyous one, as we got on the base with no problems, and the truck was released.
The team drove the truck back to the Score Complex, and prepared for an afternoon of training. The truck was inspected to check for missing equipment, and then Brandon, Mike, and Bill drove to meet Guayacanes Fire Department to do training.
The agreement when the truck was donated was that Guayacanes would get Adams E1 (the donated truck), and they would “pay it forward” by giving their truck to Quisqueyea, a department that doesn’t even have a truck. The training went well with the Firefighters, and the afternoon closed with Guayacanes Firefighters washing both trucks in preparation for the ceremony the next day.
The ceremony for the team was very emotional. Over 70 firefighters from six departments gathered at the Score Complex for the event. This was a historic event, because walls were being broken down in the Dominican Fire Departments because of the outreach of Responders On A Mission.
The ceremony was also attended by Dominican Senators and politicians, as well as news and media outlets. A request was made to the team by Fox News Latino for an interview. During the ceremony, the official change-over of the trucks took place, and then the firefighters all took a pledge of honor. The pledge was written by Felix Fils, and declared that we will stand up and be men and firefighters for Christ.
The firefighters continued to bond with each other, and as the day was coming to a close, the trucks drove down the main drag in front of the Score Complex, lights and sirens blaring, with the firefighters saluting Brandon, Mike and Bill. It was a great end to an emotional trip. Each step of the way God went before the team and let everything happen in His time.
