Three Oxfordshire firefighters are heading to the Polish Ukraine border to deliver vital equipment and put smiles on children’s faces.
After a huge drive this weekend to collect teddies to send to Poland, the firefighters are on route with the donations and the 4x4 Oxfordshire fire service is donating to Ukraine.
This is part of the second wave donations being sent to the Poland-Ukraine border by the company Fire Aid, and the trio set off yesterday (April 19) to join fire engines and over 20 other vehicles being donated in Kent.
READ MORE: Hundreds of teddies to be sent to Ukraine
Watch Manager Mark O’Connor said: “There is a brotherhood within the service worldwide so we’re just doing our little, tiny bit to help out colleagues out.”
The firefighters from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue only found out on Thursday that the service could send them, and he described the weekend as a ‘bit of a mad rush’.
On leaving, the father-of-two told this paper there were a ‘couple of tears’ from his partner, and that ‘it hasn’t quite set in yet’.
“It feels a bit strange still, we are used to all sorts of things but this is a bit different so feeling a little apprehensive. You see what’s happening on the telly, but when you’re actually there it is very different, and I think that’s when reality will hit.
“If we share too much information about our locations, we might be taken out so we have to be careful on timings.”
READ MORE: Man reunites Ukrainian family with cat after donation drive to Slovakia
Before leaving, the firefighter of 30 years and his colleagues put out a request for teddies to be donated to local fire services and he praised the incredible response over the weekend.
He said: “We have had such a great response from the people of Oxfordshire.
“Unbelievable really, especially over the Easter weekend. There are hundreds.”
Watch Manager Steve Potter who, like Mr O’Connor is based at Banbury, and Station Manager Andy Ford based at Thame will also be heading out to the Poland-Ukraine boarder.
Father-of-two Mr Ford, a firefighter of 30 years, said: “I’m so pleased to be able to take part and join in with this, its nice to be supporting Ukraine forces that are really stretched.
“We’ve managed to fit in all the teddies! The number of donations was absolutely beyond our expectations”
Mr Potter, a firefighter of 15 years shared how his six-year-old was ‘quite chipper’ about him going, after he’d explained they were going to help people.
On how he’s feeling about handing out the teddies donated he said: “I think that’s the part that we look forward to and dread the most.
“If it can cheer the children up after going through such devastating times then it makes everything worth it.”
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