After providing training to different South American fire departments, members of the Lacombe Fire Department returned home this past weekend.

In May, the Lacombe Fire Department, the Lacombe Fire Association and the City of Lacombe donated their retired Engine 1 fire truck as well as some large crates of assorted equipment to a fire detachment in Natalio, Paraguay.

On top of providing training on the fire truck, three firefighters travelled to the surrounding communities to provide additional training.

Captain with the Lacombe Fire Department Eric Nicholas was one of three who made the trip.

“They were very receptive, there was a language barrier obviously between us, but we definitely had a great translator there with us in Lieutenant Uwe Kurth (with the Lacombe Fire Department). He was just stellar with translating all the information across.”

“Between that and their eagerness to learn it was an extremely successful project.”

Lieutenant Matt Wilton also made the trip and said it was extremely rewarding knowing they were making such a difference.

“The department it went to (Engine 1) has very little for equipment, so the truck that’s been given to them is going to increase their response by 100 times. Right now a lot of them have mini-vans for ambulances.”

“To get an actual fire truck is pretty valuable to them and to teach them how to use it goes even further.”

In just days after leaving one of the cities they provided training in, there was a fire involving two houses and the tactics they showed them were put to use.

It was the fourth straight year where the department has sent equipment to Paraguay and the third year sending over volunteers to offer training.

The project’s first donated fire engine was retired from the Clive Fire Department and went to Caazapá in 2015.

The following year, a decommissioned engine from Mirror went to Artigas, which is about 100 km from Caazapá.

Lacombe Firefighters Association holds their annual Fireman's Ball in late October, with some of the proceeds going towards their Paraguay innovative.