The firefighters were also able to use the aerial ladder platform based at Worthing, which has a working height of 32 meters and is often used to extinguish fires in tall and high-rise buildings.
Later on in the trip, they also visited Henfield Fire Station and Joint Fire Control.
The trip was organized by Operation Florian – a UK fire and rescue service humanitarian charity that delivers life-saving vehicles, equipment, and technical expertise to fire and rescue services around the world.
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service’s Station Manager, Roy Barraclough, also volunteers for Operation Florian and has been involved in many international trips since the charity was established in 1995. Speaking of the visit from the Macedonian firefighters, he said: “As an Operation Florian volunteer, I regularly visit my firefighting colleagues in Macedonia and tell them about what it’s like to work in a UK fire and rescue service, so it was great to have them visit us in the workplace and see our equipment and procedures first hand.
“The approach to fire safety in Macedonia is much different from ours; for example – only last year was a 24/7 emergency dispatch service implemented, and the training and equipment available to their firefighters are quite limited.
“Having these opportunities to exchange knowledge and expertise is truly invaluable. The crews will be able to take this learning back home with them and apply it to the way they work, which in turn could save lives – and this is the ultimate goal for all fire and rescue services, no matter where in the world they are.”
