PERRYSBURG, Ohio — More than 10 full sets of decommissioned firefighter turnout gear from the Perrysburg Township Fire Department are heading to Ukraine, thanks to a partnership with local nonprofit Toledo Helps Ukraine.
Each set of turnout gear, which includes a bunker coat and pants, originally cost around $8,000. While the gear is no longer in service in the United States, it remains highly valuable in Ukraine, where such equipment is scarce due to the ongoing war.
“This is firefighting gear that is built to endure the most extreme conditions – searing heat and toxic smoke,” said Alona Matchenko, president of Toledo Helps Ukraine. “This donation is more than equipment – it’s a statement. It represents solidarity from American first responders to those risking their lives in a different kind of fire zone.”
Toledo Helps Ukraine will add the gear to its upcoming shipment of 24 pallets of aid scheduled for delivery this summer. The nonprofit’s “From Surplus to Survival” initiative transforms surplus and decommissioned items from the U.S. into critical resources for Ukrainians affected by war…