LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. — The Lake Oswego Fire Department is getting ready to retire its 1994 fire truck this month, and it will be donating the truck to a Midwestern nonprofit that sends fire engines and ambulances to Ukraine.
The idea came from JT Anoushiravani, a Lake Oswego Fire Department battalion chief, after he saw a story about the nonprofit Ukrainian Resistance Foundation's work on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.
“This kind of was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to do something for our fellow firefighters in Ukraine,” said Anoushiravani. "I got the process started in February and now we’re here. And hopefully, in the next week or two, this is headed to the East Coast and being shipped to Germany, through Poland and get to Ukraine.”
But they couldn’t do this without a proper send-off. The fire department parked the engine at the Millennium Plaza Park roundtable during the annual Star-Spangled Parade. They asked people to write their names or thoughtful message on the side of the truck.
“I just think it’s really cool to see that we have a way to help them with a real, tangible resource," the Stone family told KGW. "And something that is probably hard for them to get their hands on right now. And the fact that there is one here that they can retire is really neat and put it to good use.”
Much of Ukraine's fundamental emergency, medical and fire service equipment has been destroyed within the last year and four months — limiting first responders' ability to save lives during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
“I think it is amazing," said Derick Knight, who lives in Beaverton. "And I think it’s one of the greatest things that we can do on this side, is to help the Ukrainians out by donating this awesome fire truck that they can really use.”
Anoushiravani said the engine will likely not be painted over, so the messages of hope and support will be read by the very people of Ukraine.
"My thought too was, the fire service as a whole has such an unbreakable bond around the world," said Anoushiravani. "You can go to any city, any country, any fire house and you have that unbreakable bond."
The Lake Oswego Fire Department has recently purchased a new fire engine. It's housed at the Westlake Fire Station and holds 500 gallons of water, with over 2,500 feet of hose, and can pump up to 1,500 gallons per minute.
Given the urban wildfire risk in our community and state, the engine has the ability to "pump and roll," meaning it can drive and spray water at the same time, which is essential for grass and wildland fires.
You can follow the engine’s entire journey to Ukraine by following this twitter page: @Ambulancesu.