Frank Ewer (Lakeside Assistance Group) Speaks to Sept.22 CSRC Meeting
Posted on Sep 26, 2016
Frank has been coming to this area for the last four years and recently moved here. When he heard of the Lakeside Assistance Group, he got involved with its work. In 2014 there three groups working to bring donated firefighting and rescue equipment to the Lakeside area. They determined it would be better for all the groups to work together, so they formed the Lakeside Assistance Group.
In 2015 the first container was received here, and last week a third container was received with millions of dollars’ worth of specialized equipment. Not long ago many communities around the lake had nothing more than buckets to fight fires. Today this equipment will go to the 25 stations that most need it. The group Fire Fighters Without Borders has come here from Canada to train in the use and maintenance of the equipment.
To date, 33 firefighting/rescue groups have received equipment. One major concern is that the men are well-protected. They also have an infrared video camera that can search for ‘hot spots’ in buildings or for missing people – this device would cost $6,000 US new. The group was given free use of a local warehouse for several weeks while they sort and prepare to distribute the equipment. They have gloves, hoses, nozzles, generators, ‘jaws of life’ (to help after a road accident), etc. They have four complete rescue kits, but really need about 40. They raised money to purchase a truck which was then modified for the special use. The trucks carry about 400 gallons of water, and with special hoses can deliver 250 gallons a minute (a garden hose delivers about 3 gallons a minute). There is a donated truck coming here before Christmas. It’s thirty years old, but it will be fully fitted out. LAG will be paying for the transportation. It is going to a substation near here, in Antontonillo, an isolated area. The Texas Fire Fighting Association wants to work with LAG as well.
About the Speaker and LAG
Frank Ewer spent 25 years in the British Fire Service, starting as a part-timer in Dorset, England in 1976. He joined the Ministry of Defence Fire Service in 1979 and served in numerous locations around the United Kingdom, Europe and other locations, specializing in Operations, Hazmat and Training. He left the Fire Service in 2001 having attained the equivalent US Fire Service rank of Battalion/Assistant Chief.
An avid hot-air balloon pilot, he has participated in the famous Albequerque Balloon Festival and many other major balloon events. He move to Ajijic a few months ago, and is now part of the Lakeside Assistance Group (LAG). It was formed in 2014 to unite different organizations and to acquire usable second-hand Fire and Rescue equipment from Canadian sources and facilitating its transportation to Mexico for use here.
So far LAG have obtained and delivered three large freight containers of donated equipment for regional Firefighters (Bomberos), Paramedics and supplies for local clinics. This includes respirators, protective clothing, electronic equipment,’Jaws of Life’ systems, etc. The value for the equipment and supplies is over $10 million US and they have benefited the activities at about 80 locations in the area.