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Excelsior Fire District donates fire gear to Ukraine

Much of the gear will go to Ukrainian cities hit hard by the Russian invasion. Currently, the gear is in Oronoco, awaiting transport from a humanitarian group.

EXCELSIOR, Minn. — Much needed supplies are on their way to Ukraine, coming straight out of the Twin Cities. 

Around 15 packages of fire gear donated by the Excelsior Fire District were shipped off to Oronoco on Saturday, and will soon be hand-delivered to civilians in Ukraine who are looking to rebuild their cities and keep other civilians safe, according to District Chief Curt Mackey. 

The fire gear is being repurposed, as a lot of gear is every year, but this time helping out globally. 

Normally, the retired gear is shipped around the country to help train prospective fire recruits, which some of the gear in this batch is going to a south suburb of Chicago for.

The gear won’t touch fire here in the United States since it’s been so used up and has fallen below code, but that doesn’t mean those in Ukraine can’t use it for their purposes. 

Chief Mackey told KARE 11 that helping out those in Ukraine is just as important as helping out neighboring cities in Minnesota. 

“Let’s give back in any way we can, whether that's repurposing equipment, meeting their medical needs, whatever we can do as a small organization, it builds in a collaborative effort to be extremely powerful,” Chief Mackey said. 

Other departments can donate used gear. The Oronoco Fire Department is taking donations every Monday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. until April 11. 

You can connect with the Oronoco Fire Department just like Excelsior did, by going to their Facebook page.

Watch more on the conflict in

Ukraine:

Watch more coverage of the developing conflict in Ukraine in our YouTube playlist: 

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