Fresno firefighters donate gear to Guadalajara crews

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Fresno firefighters donated protective equipment to firefighters in Guadalajara, Mexico, the city’s fire department announced on Wednesday.

Fresno firefighters donated firefighting personal protective equipment to Guadalajara firefighters in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate to support the safety and capabilities of Guadalajara firefighters.

The donated gear included self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) units. Fresno Fire says they recently upgraded their equipment and saw an opportunity to repurpose the older equipment in a “meaningful way.”

“Guadalajara responds completely differently than the City of Fresno does, the way we respond to fires. But there are a few things that we do the same; we drive fire engines, we wear breathing apparatus, we use clotheslines to put fires out, and so we sort of talk about what can we do together,” said Fresno Fire Chief Billy Alcorn.

“And these still have a tremendous amount of life left, and instead of selling them, we couldn’t think of a better way than to give.”

Guadalajara is one of Fresno’s sister cities.