VIDEO: The sort of training firefighters do in the Pacific Northwest corresponds perfectly with the type of training first responders need in the war zone of Ukraine.
“The need there is tremendous,” said Jake Gillanders, Poulsbo Fire Department battalion chief. “There are civilians caught in the crossfire of this every day.” Gillanders and a team from his international rescue and relief organization, Empact Northwest, will be conducting technical rescue training in Ukraine all next week.
“They were trained in the old Soviet style,” Gillanders said. “They are very proficient, but their standards are probably about 20 years behind the U.S.” The training would be used in the event of a natural disaster.
In Ukraine, it is focused on combating a disaster that is entirely man-made, the Russian invasion. “Rescue is rescue,” Gillanders said. “Whether the building is collapsed because of an earthquake or a missile strike, the work is the same.”
This is Gillanders’ second such mission to Ukraine. He said the people of the war-torn nation are incredibly grateful, and as American politicians waver in their support for the country, the work his group is doing is more important than ever. It’s a situation that hits this 25-year veteran firefighter in the heart.
