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These Scottish firefighters have helped to save thousands of lives in Eastern Europe

12 October 2017

Fancy spending three days living in a refurbished fire engine as it travels across Europe?

Ian, Alex and Iain travelled over 2,000 miles from Stornoway to Serbia

No, not us either.

But that's exactly what the volunteers from the Scottish Emergency Rescue Association (SERA) do.

The group is made up of retired, serving and retained fire fighters, as well as mechanics, IT specialists and a police officer.

Since 2007, they have been delivering emergency service vehicles to Eastern Europe.

Project leader Gary Bennett, a retired fire station officer from Edinburgh, estimates that around 4,500 lives have been saved as result of the project.

Their 2017 operation saw them return to Serbia for the third time in 10 years.

Even though these fire engines have been retired from the Scottish fleet, they provide a much needed upgrade elsewhere.

"They'll replace vehicles which are over 40 years old and have almost no equipment apart from hoses", said Serbian firefighter Nikola Sasic.

Gary Bennett says a huge undertaking to just get to their destination.

These fire trucks that we get as part of the project will have a huge impact, stopping fires and saving lives in Serbia

Nikola Sasic

"We've got vehicles which haven't done this type of journey ever in their life, some of them have sat for a period of time and haven't been run."

"We're going to get a breakdown."

Mechanics travel with the group and are kept very busy.

Ian Murray, a mechanic from Stornoway Fire Station, is unfazed by the prospect though.

"We've are always able to deal with whatever situation we come across. We've never had to abandon a fire engine!"

It's not enough to have the right tools; you also need to know how to use it.

SERA spends time instructing their counterparts in firefighting techniques like basic search procedures as well as pump and ladder training.

They also demonstrate proper use of equipment such as breathing apparatus and hydraulic cutting gear, commonly used to free people from road traffic accidents.

Training exercises like these can carry a risk of serious injury.

During the trip to the Serbian city of Kragujevac in 2017, one local firefighter failed to fully turn on his cylinder before entering a building filled with burning straw.

This led to him inhaling smoke into his lungs and he had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

He made a full recovery and was able to return to service with his colleagues.

Ultimately, Gary Bennett does not view their trips as aid drops.

"We are facilitating, we are empowering, we are equipping fire fighters – ordinary men and women – to do their job, to save the lives of ordinary adults and children."

An t-adhbhar a tha cleachdadh riatanach / Why practice is essential

For one Serbian fire fighter, a training exercise goes badly wrong.

From Stornoway to Serbia - Putting out the Fire

Following the journey of an intrepid group of Scottish firemen as they take a convoy of retired fire engines across Europe for a new lease of life in Serbia.