Elgin Fire Department and Friends Supply a New Fire Department in Chile

Elgin area fire departments recently were able to deliver a huge supply of equipment to a city in Chile that lacked resources to open a new fire department, and Seigle’s was happy to play a role. Robert Bedard, a retired captain of Elgin’s Fire Department, recognized that area fire departments had functioning used equipment that was no longer in use. He decided to manage a collection of donations, including firefighting uniforms, gear, and even communication devices and send the supplies to the city of Rancagua, Chile, where they were in need of supplies for a new fire station that they could not afford to purchase.

Seigle’s served as a collection site and warehouse over the course of almost a year. Departments donated equipment and even an entire city-wide radio system donated by the City of Elgin. Once collection was complete, Bedard arranged for the supplies to be shipped to Chile via an overseas freight forwarder near Chicago.

Firefighters opened the equipment, and Bedard’s contact reported that there was a lot of dancing and celebrating. All of this meant so much to the people opening a new fire station in the city of Rancagua.

Check out a few photos below of the unboxing in Chile.

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