Mike O’Sullivan, past president of the Sunrise Rotary Club
A donation of two fire engines from the County of Grande Prairie was approved Monday during council’s regular meeting.
The Sunrise Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie and others have made regular donations to needy groups in Mazatlan, Mexico since 2002, when the project began. They have delivered all kinds of emergency vehicles from the Peace Country that are no longer in service, but could be of use in Mexico.
Mike O’Sullivan, past president of the Sunrise Rotary Club, said the project began 11 years ago when a member of the Grande Prairie Rotary Club took a trip to the Mazatlan area and attended a Rotary meeting. During the meeting, he said the member discussed the notable lack of emergency vehicles in the area with the local Rotary members.
“When he came back home, he had discussions with some of the other people and they did a cursory look around, found a fire truck that was out of service,” he said. “They got it donated, drove it down there and every year since then, except for one (they had issues getting across the border), they’ve been taking vehicles down there.”
About three to six vehicles a year have been donated to the area since 2002. O’Sullivan said the area-based clubs have donated approximately 77 emergency vehicles all together.
“Not all of them are from our clubs. Some of them were from other clubs, Dawson Creek, Lethbridge, Edson and Westminster, I believe,” he said.
Although the original request asked for the donation of the two engines and a water tender, O’Sullivan said he is happy with the outcome of two engines.
“It’s their truck,” he said. “If it’s on the agenda for next year or the year after, that’s fine.”
Coun. Sharon Nelson said although council was on board with the donations, as the project is a great humanitarian initiative in the area, they were concerned about donating the water tender because the county might find itself in need of the unit.
“Because we’re growing our fire department, and growing in that capacity, and I guess the question was can we utilize that unit? Is there more use here? We don’t want to take away from our area,” she said.
“We’re willing to donate something that is no longer required or needed in this area. That’s what that was about… It’s going to come back to the table and we’re going to take a closer look at whether we can use, make good use of the water tender truck. It might be going next year.”
The donated trucks will be driven down to Mexico in March of 2014.
The Sunrise Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie and others have made regular donations to needy groups in Mazatlan, Mexico since 2002, when the project began. They have delivered all kinds of emergency vehicles from the Peace Country that are no longer in service, but could be of use in Mexico.
Mike O’Sullivan, past president of the Sunrise Rotary Club, said the project began 11 years ago when a member of the Grande Prairie Rotary Club took a trip to the Mazatlan area and attended a Rotary meeting. During the meeting, he said the member discussed the notable lack of emergency vehicles in the area with the local Rotary members.
“When he came back home, he had discussions with some of the other people and they did a cursory look around, found a fire truck that was out of service,” he said. “They got it donated, drove it down there and every year since then, except for one (they had issues getting across the border), they’ve been taking vehicles down there.”
About three to six vehicles a year have been donated to the area since 2002. O’Sullivan said the area-based clubs have donated approximately 77 emergency vehicles all together.
“Not all of them are from our clubs. Some of them were from other clubs, Dawson Creek, Lethbridge, Edson and Westminster, I believe,” he said.
Although the original request asked for the donation of the two engines and a water tender, O’Sullivan said he is happy with the outcome of two engines.
“It’s their truck,” he said. “If it’s on the agenda for next year or the year after, that’s fine.”
Coun. Sharon Nelson said although council was on board with the donations, as the project is a great humanitarian initiative in the area, they were concerned about donating the water tender because the county might find itself in need of the unit.
“Because we’re growing our fire department, and growing in that capacity, and I guess the question was can we utilize that unit? Is there more use here? We don’t want to take away from our area,” she said.
“We’re willing to donate something that is no longer required or needed in this area. That’s what that was about… It’s going to come back to the table and we’re going to take a closer look at whether we can use, make good use of the water tender truck. It might be going next year.”
The donated trucks will be driven down to Mexico in March of 2014.
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