Firefighters return from Albania station mission

CORNWALL, Nov 2 – A retained fire fighter from Bodmin has returned from a once-in-a-lifetime charity mission to help Albanian volunteers.
John Hutchens, a business liaison officer at Cornwall College, joined colleagues to drive a fire engine to northern Albania, to donate to the community.
The vehicle, which made up part of a convoy which also included vans and trailers carrying medical supplies, was donated by Cornwall fire and rescue service and Rotary International.
The 18-year-old machine and other equipment will help the town of Krume set up its new fire station.
After the five-day drive over 2,000 miles through 12 countries, the firefighters spent a further three days training Albanian volunteers.
John said: “We knew it would be a long trip but when you saw how little they had out there our attitudes changed. The area had no fire cover at all before and that was evident in recent tragedies.
“It was obvious how much the fire engine meant to them.
“We met the chief fire officer in Kosovo and he then drove it down to Krume with myself and the team on board. The local community was delighted with it.”
The fire engine was serviced and stocked with equipment donated from Operation Florian, a national fire service charity, and fire industry suppliers from across the UK.