MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Olds Rotary Club members have updated Mountain View County council on a fire pump truck donated by the county and the Town of Olds to a city in Mexico.
The review came during the Feb. 5 council meeting.
Club members Jim Crawford and Mary Turner told councillors about the donation, conducted under the Rotary Club’s Los Amigos Project.
Under the multi-club project, a 1992 fire department pumper truck donated by the two local municipalities was given to the 800,000-resident Mexican city of Mazatlan.
The truck was part of a convoy of donated vehicles and equipment driven south in October and November.
It takes about $7,000 per vehicle to fund getting the vehicles to Mexico.
A parade of the vehicles in Mexico was very well received by the local community, he said.
“They are so appreciative,” said Crawford. “It will be well used down there.”
“It was a moving experience to hand over the keys,” added Turner.
The Canadian and Mexican Rotary clubs work together to decide where the donated vehicles will be sent, she said.
Turner explained there is a “fairly rigorous process” to make the donation, including that training on the new vehicles can be undertaken.
As well as the vehicle, emergency equipment was also donated, including a Jaws of Life device, used to free passengers from vehicles damaged in crashes.
Crawford said the donated Jaws of Life was actually used at an accident scene shortly after being donated, resulting, according to local firefighters, in three lives being saved.
Convoy members were in Mexico for about a week before flying home.
Asked by Reeve Bruce Beattie if convoy members were concerned about security, Crawford said no, explaining there were federal police on the Mexican highways during the journey.
Beattie commended the Rotary members involved in the project.
“Thank you very much for the work you do,” said Beattie. “It is really gratifying to see the vehicles being given a second life.”
