Local Hellenic Organization, UFD To Welcome Greek Firefighters Next Week

Local Hellenic Organization, UFD To Welcome Greek Firefighters Next Week

A delegation of Hellenic firefighters will spend a week training with the Union Fire District beginning late October before heading to New York City.

“We have a history of lending emergency support to local communities in the time of need, especially when wildfires ravaged Greece in 2007,” said Grossomanides, the current President of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), currently working with the Union of Hellenic Fire Service Volunteers on addressing immediate issues that Greek Volunteer Firefighters are facing along with providing support to the consignment in the US.

“We’re here to help and support these firefighters where we can,” Grossomanides said. “The Boston chapter will be transporting them to [South Kingstown].” He added that the cycle of support will continue as the Providence Chapter will host a dinner for the firefighters, and other chapters will guide them to New York City after spending time in Rhode Island.

The group of 16 firefighters hails from all over the nation of Greece, representing the Hellenic Firefighters Society and includes Volunteer Fire Service Executives, Volunteer Fire Station Commanders and Volunteer Firefighters of the Hellenic Fire Service which is the national fire & rescue service in Greece.

UFD Chief Robert Perry said that the focus of their trip is to learn and improve their training, and he hopes to impart some knowledge through serious training at the District’s Facility on Asa Pond Road.

The firefighters arrive Saturday, October 29, 2011 and will spend the week exchanging ideas, tactics and strategies. The firefighters will also have the opportunity to learn strategies and tactics utilized during Live Burn Evolutions being held at the Union Fire District Training Ground.

“Their ability to use and learn what they can is important,” said UFD Deputy Chief Kevin Quinn, who was instrumental in bringing the contingent to South Kingstown. “Their funding and training is lacking in some areas, and as fellow volunteers we want to help them out during their time here.”

Quinn and fellow NVFC board member Mike Bird, along with Executive Director Heather Schafer, have been coordinating the fall visit and training evolutions for nearly a year as part of the NVFC’s International Relations Committee, according to a press release issued Tuesday by the UFD.

“Whatever we can do to make their trip successful, they’re a volunteer organization, and because of that they are in need of resources to come here.” The Union Fire District helped to make the society’s trip possible by soliciting donations to foot some of their costs as well, according to Quinn.

AHEPA, the largest and oldest association of Greek Americans and Philhellenes in the country, has over 500 U.S. chapters, and boasts over 50,000 members nationwide.

Grossomanides, a pharmacist who lives and practices in Westerly, graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1984 and joined the Hellenic Society when he was a senior in college. Since then he has been an active member of AHEPA for 27 years. In preparation for this trip, Grossomanides has been in phone contact with the group from the states.

In September 2010, Perry, Bird and Quinn met with Makis Tsiougris, the President of the Union of Hellenic Fire Service Volunteers, the organization that represents the 2,000 volunteer firefighters in Greece. In addition to discussing the fire service in both countries, Tsiougris participated in a live fire training exercise at the Union Fire District facility. It was this connection that brought the idea of bringing a contingent of Greek firefighters to the United States. There are also plans to bring a second delegation in the spring of 2012.

Chief Robert Perry and members of the Union Fire District will utilize the Union Fire District training facility to demonstrate fire ground tactics and escort the delegation through live fire training exercises, with evolutions including vehicle extrication, fire suppression, ventilation, ladders, confined space, forcible entry, and CPR training.

In addition to visiting Rhode Island, the Union of Hellenic Fire Service Volunteers delegation is sharing and exchanging ideas with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). The NVFC is coordinating communications between the two countries and is in the process of exchanging and sharing information. Over the past few years, the NVFC has also met with fire service leaders from Japan, England, Finland, Italy, Canada, South America, and Central America.