Surprises at the Airport #afmkenya2019

We were stationed at the airport for our All Kenya Fire EMS Symposium and Competition 2019. One of the evenings, the airport Fire Chief arranged for our team to get passes to get an impromptu tour of the firehouse after we finished teaching. We did not think this could happen due to some of the other activities going on at the airport this week. This change put a crimp in the regular scheduled evening plans but who can pass up a firehouse tour right?

As we were pulling up to the firehouse, the siren sounded for an airport emergency. A plane was coming in from Lodwar to make an emergency landing due to a blown tire on take off. The plane decided to divert to JKIA instead of the small Wilson airport due to the crash rescue and repair services available at JKIA.

Being who we are, several of AFM team members managed to snag extra seats on the crash rescue trucks and the command car. The Chief even pulled a driver off of one of the other trucks and used 4 of our AFM guys to staff an extra crash rescue rig :)

We pulled out onto the taxiways and waited for the flight to arrive. 20 minutes later the plane landed safely and we chased it down the runway. It’s a rush doing 90 mph in a firetruck down a runway I have to tell you, but I digress. The plane pulled off into a revetment and we got out of the rigs to inspect the tires and make sure it was safe to unload the passengers. As we walked to the plane my phone rang. It was Tim Stewart, CMF international missionary to Missions of Hope International and friend. Low and behold he and his dad were on the plane and he saw us walking up.

After ensuring there was not going to be a fire, we unloaded plane. Tim and his dad Dan were the first off the plane. After bigs hugs all around with Tim and Dan and our team, they were loaded onto a bus and headed off to catch an Uber home - and to share their adventures with others.

Well, the day ended way different than we expected it to. Thankfully it ended safely and with a good story to tell.

-Dave Moore

José - Fire Safety Advocate - May 2019

In May 2019, Africa Fire Mission was able to hire José to work as a Fire Safety Advocate in Kenya.   José is a burn survivor and a firefighter He is be working with community groups training the community members in Community Health Evangelism - Fire Safety, helping start local volunteer fire brigades and helping us coordinate trainings for fire service in Kenya.  He is ministering to the community by showing him God’s love and through practical fire safety and response.  Please keep Jose in your prayers as he works to train community members and to develop volunteer fire departments in Kenya.   He recently shared this success with us: 

On July 13, I was headed to train staff at MOHI on how to use fire extinguishers, I had my bunker gear with me as I use it to show them how firefighters gear up. I learned that there was a fire nearby.  I diverted from my training and went to the fire scene. On scene, I unpacked my bunker gear by the footpath just near the fire engine. I could hear people say in Swahili "this is our fireman". I prepared so fast.

I then went to the fire commander and saluted and said “I'm at your service” for him to assign me to duty. He asked me to do a safety check and see if fire was at the back of the houses. I checked and reported back that all was well. He told me to go give backup to the nozzle man working on the ground. When I got to him, he was extremely exhausted. I took over and asked him to rest as he watched my back.  I needed him to watch my back because as firefighters in Kenya, we often get rocks thrown at us because community members believe that we do not come prepared (they think our trucks aren’t filled with water when we arrive because they run out of water (10,000 liters) so quickly).  A second fire engine was called and it acted like a water tanker back up. This was a relief because during my community fire prevention and response sessions, I explain to them how firefighters and fire engines operate and why water gets depleted so quickly. 

After training nearly 3,000 community members in 3 months’ time, the firefighters are now beginning to be accepted in the community.  My dream is to one day see no fire engine with riot cages on its window panes.

After putting out the fire, more community members saw me on scene and were giving me fist bumps as they identified with Africa Fire Mission – their fireman, being on the ground. It was truly humbling. Our little light has started shining.   I’m already following up to see how we can train members in this local area for early emergency response.

May all AFM’s partners know that their help is truly bearing fruit and touching lives. We shall not relent on this battle of fire.

Nairobi and Kiambu Kenya April 2019

In April 2019 AFM had the privilege of participating in the first conference of the newly formed Chief Fire Officer’s Association of Kenya. Over 25 counties were represented, including about 3 counties with newly formed fire departments.

NAIROBI, MURANGA & KILIFI, KENYA DECEMBER 2018

AFM instructors provided training for the 4th year in Kenya. Our team of 13 US firefighters and 10 CHE workers from Missions of Hope International provided a week of training in Muranga, Kenya. Training topics included Community Fire Prevention, Tactical Firefighting, Leadership and Emergency Vehicle Operations. Partners from Polish Aid (PCPM) and Kenya Council of Emergency Medical Technicians provided First Aid and EMS training.

It was exciting to see the advancements of the fire service including more volunteer firefighters. The fire services is rapidly expanding their connections with communities through integration of community fire prevention and basic first aid especially with children and motorcycle drivers. Reports of over 500,000 individuals trained in community fire prevention since November 2017!

Team members were also able to visit fire stations in Nairobi, Kenya; Mariakani, Kenya as well as the firefighters at JKIA (Nairobi's international airport).

NAIROBI, KIAMBU, MURANGA & KILIFI, KENYA - JUNE/JULY 2018

In June and July, teams from Parkview Christian Church, Orland Park, Illinois and Generations Christian Church, Trinity Florida provided Fire Prevention Training at Missions of Hope International. Over 3500 children and their teachers received life-saving information about preventing and responding to fires. There had been a fire at one of the Missions of Hope schools early in 2018 and the timing of this training was critical in the Mathare Valley as well as in Turkana, Kenya. Where there is no fire brigade.

Nancy Moore, director of programs, met with fire service leadership in Kilifi, Nairobi, Muranga and Kiambu Counties to continue planning for our 2018 fire symposium and to see the progress that is occurring. Kilifi and Nairobi Counties have boreholes under construction at their fire stations; Kiambu county has started a new fire station in Kiambaa – allowing them better access to this growing community “you have to start somewhere” – the fire station is a shack. Nairobi is now able to respond to more fires thanks to a partnership with Belgium Aid which has provided new fire trucks.

Mariakani Fire Brigade in Kilifi County serves about 300,000 people. Since November 2017 they have trained over 60,000 children and adults in fire safety. They are using community development principles to do this by using locally available resources to serve their community in the best way possible. They are proud of their work. The Mariakani Fire Brigade has also started 3 Jr Firefighter programs, one for children that live near the fire station and come to the fire station for programs and 2 programs at local schools. These children have successfully suppressed one small fire that could have resulted in a much larger fire without the knowledge of these children. Mariakani has also started Friends of Firefighters Fellowship - a local church that meets at the fire station

NAIROBI AND KIAMBU, KENYA - NOVEMBER 2017

AFM instructors arrived in Kenya to conduct the 3rd All Kenya Fire Academy in Thika, Kiambu County, Kenya. The academy planning committee did an amazing job planning for the academy. Over 200 firefighters attended the academy in the immediate aftermath of a presidential election in Kenya. Firefighters from all corners of Kenya, of all different political views, tribes and faiths came together to learn and discover how to even better serve their communities.

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The Kenya Council of EMT's joined Africa Fire Mission to train firefighters in basic medical care, while our team taught classes on leadership, community fire prevention/ education and conducted a hands-on class for new firefighters. Daily devotions started each day and a bible study concluded the day.

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The fire academy was opened with a grand opening ceremony attended by the governor of Kiambu County and the academy ended with the firefighters participating in their FIRST ever full-scale emergency drill that featured live fires, a rowdy crowd of community members (replicating the attitudes and beliefs of the communities where the firefighters serve) and victims in need of rescue. We closed the 3rd All Kenya Fire Academy with a graduation celebration full of songs, dancing, certificates, handshakes and hugs.

NAIROBI, KENYA - OCTOBER 2017 FIRE PREVENTION WEEK

What would you do if you see a fire? Yell: FIRE FIRE FIRE! What would you do if your clothes catch fire? STOP DROP and ROLL! What would you do if your house is on fire? GET LOW and GET OUT!

Those are the words to our new fire prevention song that was introduced in Kenya during this mission. In the U.S. nearly everyone knows the number for the fire department, how to exit their home safely in a fire and many more fire safety and prevention techniques.

Imagine not knowing how to call the fire department when you needed them, or not knowing what to do if your clothes caught fire. How helpless would you feel? We’ve set out to change that helpless feeling into knowledge across Africa.

A team of 22 people from fire departments, churches and communities all across the U.S. came together in Nairobi to share the message of fire safety and God's love to the children and staff at the Missions of Hope International’s Kosovo School. During this amazing week, the AFM team taught the kids fire safety, shared the Bible and played games with the students, created songs and dances with the students and showed God’s love to the kids and staff.

Now 40 teachers, 1100 school kids, their families and friends in the Mathare Valley of Kenya know what to do and who to call when fires break out and how to safely evacuate their school in case of fire.

NAIROBI, MACHAKOS & KIABMU, KENYA FEBRUARY 2017

Dave & Nancy spent two weeks in Kenya to plan for the fall, to develop new fire prevention curriculum and to work with Missions of Hope to complete a student assessment platform. We met with stakeholders from last year’s academy to review the accomplishments and to plan for this year’s academy. Topics were chosen for the 2017 academy, the location of the academy was secured, Thika Stadium, and partnerships were strengthened. We also had the opportunity to donate an air compressor that can be used to fill firefighter breathing apparatus to the Machakos County Fire Brigade thanks to our partners MSA and High Pressure Systems.

NAIROBI AND MACHAKOS, KENYA NOVEMBER 2016

Our 2016 All Kenya Fire Academy trained over 230 Kenyan and Ugandan Firefighters in Machakos County, Kenya. We offered training in Fire Service Leadership, Community Fire Prevention & Response and Emergency Medical Services (including CPR & basic first aid).

During the academy we rolled out our brand new fire prevention curriculum to the attendees and by the end of the week hundreds of community members in Machakos and Nairobi were trained in fire prevention and community fire response techniques.

Our team of 11 instructors were joined by two Polish Fire Trainers and a video crew of the Discovery Channel who recorded a day of the academy for inclusion in an upcoming Discovery Channel Documentary about the impact of global warming on disaster response. The week concluded with a formal graduation ceremony. Local officials spoke and the students were given blessings from both local pastor and Imam. All the students received certificates of accomplishment and a gift from Africa Fire Mission and the Fellowship of Christian Firefighters.

Additionally, we trained nearly 50 CHE trainers and Community members in the Mathare Valley in our Community Health Evangelism Fire Prevention Curriculum Missions of Hope International is facilitating a community fire prevention team with CHE community members that will continue to train others in the community.

Nairobi, Kenya - November 2015

In November, 21 Africa Fire Mission team members traveled to Kenya to facilitate the first ever All Kenya Fire Academy. Africa Fire Mission partnered with Missions of Hope International, Kenya Airport Authority and the Kenya National Fire Brigades Association to train nearly 250 Kenyan firefighters, chief officers and disaster responders.
Our team of 21 came together from all across the United States and was made up of career and volunteers firefighters, company officers and chiefs. Together we taught courses in Community Fire Prevention and Response, Senior Leadership Development, Fire Investigation and Urban Search and Rescue. Classes were held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Mission of Hope International's Kosovo School in the Mathare Valley of Nairobi. Attendees of the training come from all across Kenya including 22 of the 47 counties; several national organizations, NGO's and 1 person joined us from the Country of Uganda.

Throughout the week, our instructor cadre was able to share their knowledge and experiences to help the Kenyan students take what they learned during the week back to their homes and share it with those firefighters who could not attend the academy. Our instructors teaching hands on portions of the training used tools that were already in use in Kenya to accomplish many of the tasks while also introducing new tools and techniques that could be useful as well. We had use of a building that was being deconstructed and a rubble pile at the airport. Our classes were able to use these areas to build a burn cell for the fire investigation class so that they could study burn patters and to simulate rescuing victims from collapsed buildings. Our senior leadership class shared strategies for leadership success and spent time working in small groups to address real life issues facing the Kenyan leaders.

Our community prevention and response class spent the week training at the Missions of Hope Kosovo Center in the Mathare Valley. They shared prevention strategies as well as basic fire suppression skills with the fire department and community members. On Thursday morning, local community members brought a man who had been stabbed in the neck to our team for help. One of the fire departments taking the training had driven an ambulance. As our team members began rendering aid to the injured man, the ambulance was able to find directions to a hospital. Our team was able to render life saving aid and rush the man to the hospital where he was able to receive treatment for his injuries that he never could have received in the slums. Later that same afternoon a fire broke out in the community near the Kosovo School. The area where the fire was burning was to dangerous for our instructors to go to but Kenyan students were able to rush to the scene where they began fighting the fire until the fire department could arrive. The Kenyan students were able to pull a mom and a baby from a burning home. This quick action saved lives and limited the damage to only about 10 homes when often fires like this regularly damage 100 homes or more.

Using our CHE based training approach we were able to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the students and community members we taught. We are already developing plans for our return trip to Kenya in November of 2016 to continue building the capacity of the Kenyan fire brigades and the relationships between the governments and Missions of Hope International.

Nairobi, Kenya - May 2015

In May 2015, Dave and Nancy more traveled once again to Nairobi, Kenya to continue planning, preparing and raising support for the first ever All Kenya Fire Academy. During this trip, they had the opportunity to travel to the coastal area of Kenya to better understand the challenges facing emergency responders across Kenya. Upon returning to Nairobi, they once again met with the Kenyan Stakeholders to continue preparations for the training that would be conducted in November 2015.

Meetings were held at both Missions of Hope International's Pangani Center and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The Kenya National Fire Brigade Association coordinated a meeting of many of the senior chief fire officers from across the country at the Pangani Center. During this meeting, AFM lead a collaboration exercise among the officers to determine what were the greatest training needs for emergency responders in Kenya. As a result of these meetings, it was determined those topics were: Fire Prevention and Community Response, Fire Investigation, Urban Search and Rescue and Senior Leadership Development.

Together with the Kenyan Stakeholders, AFM continued to work with governmental agencies to raise the support and awareness needed to allow the emergency responders across Kenya to increase their capabilities to prevent and mitigate emergencies. Additionally, a new draft of the fire prevention curriculum was presented for review and feedback. This vital information was again incorporated into the program as it continues its process to acceptance, printing and distribution.

Nairobi, Kenya - January 2015

During Africa Fire Mission’s 2014 training endeavor to Nairobi, the Kenyan Stakeholders asked AFM to help them establish a country wide fire training academy and training curriculum. In January 2015, our Executive Director Dave Moore traveled back to Nairobi to continue development of this proposal. During the week, AFM met with emergency and disaster responders from across Kenya to gain their perspective and insight into creating such an academy. In partnership with the Kenyan Stakeholders, we also met with governmental agencies to gauge their input and potential levels of support for such an endeavor.

Stakeholders included municipal fire departments, the Kenya National Fire Brigades Association, St. John Ambulance, The Kenyan Red Cross, Kenya Airport Authority, Legend Impact Communications, National Disaster Management Unit, National Disaster Operations Center, Association of Fire Industry of Kenya, Missions of Hope International, local media and community members.

As a result of these meetings, it was mutually agreed that a weeklong training academy would be held in November of 2015 as a beginning to the longer process establishing a physical fire academy and curriculum. The Kenya Airports Authority agreed to host the training sessions at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. Africa Fire Mission would coordinate instructors for 4 topics areas that were to be chosen by the consensus of the Kenya emergency responders. KENFIBA would coordinate with the response agencies across the entire country of Kenya to ensure they were all aware of this training opportunity and to manage registration for the 200 students this academy would train.

At the conclusion of these meetings, AFM presented a draft of a fire prevention curriculum aimed at reducing fire risk in the slum communities of Kenya to Missions of Hope International and the Nairobi City/County Fire Brigade for their review and feedback. Their input was recorded and presented back to the curriculum developers so that the program could be changed to better meet the needs of those who will receive the training.

Machakos County , Kenya - November 2014

On Friday, November 7th, Dave Moore and Wallace Kamau (MOHI) met with the Emergency Management Staff of Machakos County. We toured the only working 911 center in Kenya and facilitated a question and answer session with their staff. Africa Fire Mission was able to donate PPE to the fire department and began planning for a regional fire academy. We were impressed with the emphasis that Machakos County is placing on emergency management and look forward to partnering with them in the future.

Lodwar, Turkana County, Kenya - November 2014

While the AFM team was training in Nairobi, Dave and Nancy Moore traveled to Lodwar to meet with county officials and begin assessing how AFM can assist in developing a fire service for Turkana County. We had a productive trip meeting with various County officials, a member of Parliament, and members of the Business Community. Plans are in development for how AFM can serve the people of Turkana.

Nairobi, Kenya - November 2014

Our mission started with collecting gear and raising funds to send a 40 foot container of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other mission supplies. The container shipped in July. The container arrived to Missions Of Hope International (MOHI) in October. Our team arrived in Nairobi on November 1st. Our team of trainers (Matt Flagler, Bob Rielage, Todd Rielage), spent most of the week training all of the shifts of the Nairobi Fire Service (NFS) in the use and maintenance of SCBA's (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus).

On Friday, November 7th, Bob Rielage, Nancy Moore and Matt Flager worked with the CHE (Community Health Evangelism) trainers from MOHI to begin development of a Fire Prevention program that meets the needs of the Urban Slum communities in Africa. Nairobi Fire Service sent one of their Fire Prevention Specialists and a partnership is being developed for NFS, MOHI and AFM to complete the development of the program to include training for CHE trainers and tools for them to use with community members.

Saturday, November 8th the AFM and NFS worked with the larger team from Lifespring Christian Church to have a community "Fun Day." NFS demonstrated the use of their trucks to put out fire and helped to change the image of the fire department in the slum communities. Community education is key to prevention and intervention in the slum areas.

Nairobi, Kenya - November 2013

In November, 2013 Africa Fire Mission delivered fire fighting equipment and gear to the Nairobi Fire Department. Three Africa Fire Mission team members traveled to Nairobi to participating in training with their Fire Department.

Nairobi, Kenya - November 2012

In November 2012, Dave Moore, founder of Africa Fire Mission, and Jeff Johnson traveled to Nairobi for the first time.