The Rotary Club of Edinburgh helped buy a fire truck for the town of Chernihiv in Ukraine

The device was received by the Chernihiv Fire and Rescue Service today (June 13) and given a traditional garden hose to celebrate its arrival.

After the Siege of Chernihiv and heavy shelling, the Chernihiv Fire and Rescue Service realized that they needed a specialized rescue device that would allow them to rescue residents trapped in high-rise buildings.

Mr. Pesenkov found a fire truck for sale, fitted with a 30-meter-long extension ladder, but discovered that it would cost $50,000 to buy, upgrade and deliver to Ukraine from Austria.

Fortunately, the Edinburgh club took action and devised a strategy to purchase and send the fire truck to Chernihiv.

The club, along with co-sponsors from two U.S. districts, applied for grants from Rotary International, which has a Ukrainian Disaster Fund to fund relief projects to support Ukrainian citizens. Rotarians around the world have raised more than $15 million for this fund, and grants of up to $25,000 are available for Rotary districts that create suitable projects.

Grants were quickly approved, setting the wheels in motion for the delivery of the fire truck. The vehicle was driven to Latvia, on the Polish-Ukrainian border, before making the final leg of the journey to Chernihiv.