Africa Fire Mission is excited to announce a new partnership with Firefighters Without Borders! This partnership will strengthen international collaboration in fire service training, equipment support, and professional exchange.
Strengthening Wildland Fire Response in Wajir County
In January 2026, Africa Fire Mission continued its partnership with Fire Aid through a follow-up training mission in Wajir County, Kenya, demonstrating what long-term, sustainable capacity building can look like in action.
The Impact of Community Fire Prevention Training in West Pokot County
Recognizing the Award Winners at the 2025 EMS and Fire Symposium, Mombassa, Kenya
Highlighting the 2025 Kenya EMS & Fire Symposium and Competition
The Impact of Leadership Training on County Fire and EMS Services
“The 2025 Fire and EMS Symposium at Bandari Academy in Mombasa provided an excellent platform for counties across Kenya to strengthen their emergency response capacity. As an instructor in the leadership class, I witnessed the dedication of Kenya’s firefighters and paramedics first-hand and saw the critical need for strong, ethical, and modern leadership within the sector.”
Suleiman Adan Issack, Chief Fire Officer of Mandera County, writes about his experience at the 2025 Kenya Symposium
AFM Receives Grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation
2025 Chama Award Recipients: Mission Partner
Metro Fire Chiefs Association Sign Memorandum of Understanding with AFM
On May 1st, 2025, leaders of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Africa Fire Mission! As part of this MoU, Africa Fire Mission strengthened its relationship with Fire Chiefs from Metro fire departments and will be able to help increase support for fire departments in Africa.
Advancements in Mombasa's Fire Department
by Ibrahim Basafar
My name is Ibrahim Basafar, and I serve as the County Chief Fire Officer for the Mombasa County Government. I am also a PhD finalist in Law Enforcement and Legal Justice Systems at Mount Kenya University.
I recall joining the fire department from the Inspectorate department when His Excellency Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir was elected as the Governor of Mombasa County.
During a visit to the main fire station in October 2022, I was quite surprised by the conditions. There was no dedicated CFO office, recreation center, or classroom. The dormitories were in poor condition, infested with bed bugs, and lacked basic amenities like paint or fans.
The station was operating with only one functional fire engine with an unstable and leaking tank. Additionally, there were broken and leaking fire water hoses, no FFF foam, no allocated fuel, and a lack of essential protective gear such as fire tunics and breathing apparatus. There was also no established curriculum, control room, OB facility, or operational system in place. Sadly, the station had become known as a place to transfer officers with disciplinary issues from other departments.
Governor Nassir and I agreed that the fire department had been neglected and needed a complete transformation into a model department for other county and national entities to learn from. Our initial focus was on enhancing the capacity and discipline of our officers. Following this, we successfully increased the annual budget allocation for the fire department.
Today, we have 102 fire officers who have received comprehensive training in firefighting techniques, OSHA standards, first aid, and water rescue, along with internal supervisory training. Mombasa now has an Emergency Operation Center, overseen by a Fire Officer, which manages county-wide disaster and emergency responses. We have five operational fire engines and one rescue truck equipped with all necessary tools, including extraction equipment for road traffic accidents. All dormitories have been renovated, and the three main stations in Likoni, Changamwe, and Mvita have been refurbished to meet a standard fire department aesthetic.
Currently, we have 60 new, UK-standard fire tunic suits acquired by the county (not donated), 54 self-contained breathing apparatuses, UK-standard fire water hoses with branch nozzles, and a storage of 10,000 liters of AFFF foam. Continuous daily classes are conducted in all three stations using a standardized fire curriculum. Furthermore, a new fire station in Kiembeni is nearing completion at 85% and is expected to be fully operational by June 2025.
We have also extended our training to other counties and institutions, including 60 officers from Kiambu County Fire, 40 from Nairobi, 98 from Tana River (including Chief Wako), 300 individuals from various universities and colleges, and 220 ongoing trainees at the Mombasa Inspectorate school. In 2024, we conducted 52 school inspections and training sessions, as well as 50 community awareness programs.
Presently, 50% of our officers are fully equipped with standard fire tunic suits, boots, helmets, self-contained breathing apparatuses, and working uniforms.
With the continued support of His Excellency Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, we are optimistic about achieving 100% PPE for the remaining officers in the next financial year. We also aim to build an additional fire station in Nyali, initiate a kitchen welfare program for our firefighters, and implement promotions for the existing force.
It truly makes our day when our firefighters return home safely with a sense of accomplishment.
Chief Fire Officer Ibrahim Basafar is Mombasa County Government’s Fire Chief. He is a PhD Finalist in Law Enforcement and Legal Justice Systems at Mount Kenya University. He is an experienced Fire Officer and safety expert.
“It’s incredible to see the advocacy and advancement taking place in the fire service in Mombassa. Collaboration, relationships, advocacy, and tenacity have been required to improve Mombassa’s fire service. We hope that other fire services in Africa can learn from what Mombassa is doing!”
- Nancy Moore, Africa Fire Mission, Executive Director
AFM Launches Active Bleeding Control Program in Kenya
In March 2025, Africa Fire Mission (AFM) proudly launched our Active Bleeding Control Program in Kenya, a significant step toward enhancing emergency response capabilities in the region. This initiative addresses the critical need for immediate bleeding control, especially in areas where access to medical facilities may be delayed.
Donating Fire Equipment, Medical Equipment & Training Supplies at FDIC 2025
Africa Fire Mission accepts personal protective equipment in clean and serviceable condition. We seek to serve our fellow firefighters with this equipment. Please consider the firefighters you will be impacting when making your donation - We ask that personal protective equipment be cleaned prior to donation. We request that boots and gloves be cleaned and matched prior to donation. Please see our specifications below regarding accepted equipment.
Leadership Training in Kenya
The 2024 All Kenya EMS and Fire Symposium held at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya integrated several fields of training. Fire Prevention, Health and Wellness, Firefighting Tactics, Emergency Medicine, and Leadership were all incorporated topics. AFM team member Tim Baker writes about his experience as a leadership instructor!
AFM's Successes in 2024!
Recognizing the 2024 Kenya Fire and EMS Symposium Award Winners
In November, Africa Fire Mission worked with partners and collaborators around the world to hold the 2024 Kenya EMS and Fire Symposium and Competition. This Symposium featured firefighter and EMS trainings, leadership development, mental health awareness, community fire prevention trainings, and the signature EMS and Fire Competition. All of the classes were desinged to have immediate application for firefighters and EMS personel. AFM was espeically focused on leadership development in emergency services and the mental, physical, and spiritual wellness of first responders. AFM would like to recognize members of the fire service who are making a difference across Africa, as well as the award winners of the Fire and EMS Competition!
Africa Fire Mission Receives Motorola Solutions Foundation Grant
Africa Fire Mission (AFM) is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions. AFM will use this grant to support the funding for our Fire and EMS Training Symposium and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Distribution in Kenya. This event serves as an incredible opportunity to train members of the fire service and develop leaders. AFM team members will also prioritize the mental wellness of first responders by continuing the development for health and mental wellness programs for emergency personnel.
2024 Chama: AFM's Fundraiser a Success
On October 12th, 2024, Africa Fire Mission held its annual fundraising event: the Chama! This fundraising event was created to raise funds and foster enthusiastic support for the fire service in Africa and around the world. The Chama serves as a celebration of the incredible accomplishments of the African fire service over the past year, as well as the dedicated volunteers and valuable partners that make these accomplishments possible. In total, the Chama raised over $30,000 for the fire service in Africa! We are grateful for all our guests, donors, and sponsors who contributed to our successful event.
AFM Receives Grant from the LION Foundation
Having a full-time employee in Africa has allowed AFM to connect with communities and pursue our mission in an exciting new way. Now, we are delighted to announce that LION has renewed its commitment to fire services in Africa and community fire prevention through a grant that will provide initial funding for us to employ an additional full-time Fire Safety Advocate in Africa!
Supporting Firefighters through PPE Donations
AFM is specifically looking for firefighter PPE such as coats, pants, hoods, helmets, boots, and gloves. Please check our Equipment Needs to see a full list of gear we can or cannot accept.
Serving In Nigeria with FCT Fire Service and IHVN
It was great to be back in Abuja, Nigeria in January and early February!
An AFM team of six provided training to FCT firefighters, IHVN staff and partners from the “Committee of Stakeholders on the General Safety & Security of Cadastral Zone C00 Abuja FCT.” The training allowed the AFM team to assess the capabilities of the firefighters as well as gain a better understanding of the community’s perspective of firefighters. Training for the FCT Fire Service focused on enhancing fire response capabilities, promoting utilization of available equipment and tools for firefighting, and enhancing community awareness.
Team member Mike Kull elaborated that “we were able to provide quality training on a wide variety of topics - Breathing Apparatus, Ladders, Hose Drills - Firefighters from FCT Fire Service were eager to learn and we expect to see rapid and positive results from this training. We realize that development is a slow process but we have high hopes for the firefighters here in Nigeria.”
Head of Operations, FCT Fire Service, Engr. Adesina Abioye, stated that the training has updated Fire Service Staff with modern professional ways of rescue and firefighting, and served as a refresher course on fire prevention and administration for the Senior Staff who participated. “The importance of the partnership cannot be overemphasized; it has brought tremendous benefits to the partners and the stakeholders community. What would have cost the FCT administration a huge sum of money was made available at no cost due to partnership,” he said.
AFM also conducted a needs assessment to identify tools and equipment needed to further develop the FCT Fire Service and donated firefighting equipment. This equipment included firefighting coats, boots, gloves, suspenders and helmets for enhanced effectiveness in responding to fire incidents and saving lives, property, and critical infrastructure.
We are grateful that IHVN is committed to collaborating with FCT Fire Service to enhance the capabilities of the fire service and look forward to continued collaboration in Nigeria.