Silves Voluntary Bombeiros has received a delivery of vital protective clothing from England, thanks to the efforts of Patricia Hitchinson – a resident in the Algarve.
Patricia met Silves’ Commandante Abel Gomes some time ago to discuss the devastation caused in last summer’s fires and see if she could help. Gomes explained that the 130 volunteers, who worked relentlessly during the fires, have very little protective clothing. Armed with a list of necessities, Patricia started to contact various fire brigades in England to request donations of protective clothing.
One of the fire brigades she spoke to, the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, was able to help and provided a selection of fire-fighting clothing for Silves Bombeiros. And local transport company, AIM, agreed to ship the clothing free of charge.
Patricia’s efforts paid off last week when the AIM van pulled up, filled with the clothing donated by the Royal Berkshire Fire Brigade. Commandante Abel Gomes was there to greet the van, alongside his team. “We are very pleased, and grateful for the efforts that have been made to enable our bombeiros to have the gear they need,” he commented.
Vice President of the Association of Bombeiros, Leopoldo Assunção, was also present to show his gratitude to the team of people who made the donation possible. Patricia Hitchinson would like to thank everybody involved in the donation, collection and delivery of the gear.
