ROSELLE, NJ – In a significant show of global solidarity and community support, the borough of Roselle Fire Department has joined forces with The 911 Fund to donate critical firefighting equipment to their counterparts in Guatemala. The donation includes bags filled with boots, helmets, and other personal protective equipment used in hazardous situations. Gear that will soon aid firefighters thousands of miles away from Roselle.
This shipment marks the latest chapter in a decades-long mission led by The 911 Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced fire departments around the world. “We collect used firefighting equipment from all over the state and donate it to different countries,” said Bobby Nunez, a Jersey City firefighter and chairperson of the Donations Committee. “Today’s shipment is going to firefighters in Guatemala.”
The organization was founded 25 years ago by the late Dr. Stephan Hittmann, a former New York City emergency response coordinator who later passed away from 9/11-related cancer. Since its beginning, the foundation has delivered lifesaving equipment to fire departments in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, South Africa and beyond.
“During 9/11, we were meeting people from different countries,” recalled Nunez. “The language didn’t matter. They wanted to help us. Dr. Hittmann saw their commitment and wanted to help their departments. That’s when we started collecting gear from all over the state.” The inaugural shipment of equipment went to firefighters in the Dominican Republic who assisted in the Sept. 11 recovery efforts.
“The Roselle Fire Department is proud to partner with the 9/11 Fund to donate life-saving gear to firefighters in Guatemala,” said Christopher Laba, chief of the Roselle Fire Department. “This effort not only honors the legacy of those we lost on Sept. 11, but also extends their spirit of service across borders. Firefighters everywhere deserve the tools to do their job safely – and we’re humbled to support our brothers and sisters in Guatemala in this way.”
In addition to donating gear ranging from protective clothing to ladders and fire engines, the foundation also sends representatives abroad to provide hands-on training in equipment use and firefighting techniques. The foundation is filling and shipping five to six containers each year.
Photos Courtesy of Artie Smallwood
