Black is the new orange: Since 2010, the 14 local fire brigades of the velvet municipality of Feldspar have been equipped with black operational reflective clothing. The previous orange jackets and pants have had their day. Even if this safety clothing has considerable signs of wear and a sale to other fire departments is no longer worthwhile: For disposal, this equipment is too much. Now the "second hand" things of the Feldspar firefighters go where they are urgently needed: to Africa.
"We already use existing contacts of the two fire brigade comrades Cars-ten Hoeing from Buxtehude and Rein-hard Paul-sen from Hamburg and send the decommissioned operational clothing to Tanzania," reports fire service spokesman Granter Kaufman. Instead of landing in an old clothes container, about 100 items of clothing go well packed in a proper container on an eight-week cruise ship in April. The destination is the Tanzanian port city of Dare es Salaam.
Hoeing and Paul-sen had already supplied the local fire department with various equipment. In August last year, 33 retired respiratory protective devices were sent to Tanzania. Already in this first joint action with the Feldspar fire brigade, Hoeing and Paul-sen had pointed to the country's enormous need for fire-fighting equipment. The two were already more often in the East African country, to ensure that everything arrives where it should arrive.
The patching of damaged clothing and the conversion to the right size are no problem, also make sure the reflective tape is not damaged. According to Hoeing: "The women there are excellent divorcees. What does not fit, is made to fit. "Also on the included rubber boots, he is pleased. His winking comment at the handover: "It makes perfect sense to replace the 'safety flip flops' of the local firefighters with safety boots.
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