By Aminata Kuyateh
STARUP Foundation, an international humanitarian organisation based in Spain’s Canary Islands, on Saturday donated eight emergency and operational vehicles alongside specialised firefighting and rescue equipment to the Gambia Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) and other national security institutions in a major push to strengthen The Gambia’s emergency response capacity.
The handover ceremony, held at State House, brought together President Adama Barrow, Interior Minister Abdoulie Sanyang, Chief Fire Officer, STARUP Foundation President Sonja Arup, senior government officials and members of the country’s security and emergency services.
The donated equipment to the Fire and Rescue Service includes two URO 3500L 4×4 fire trucks with less than 20,000 kilometres, one 12,000-litre fire water tanker truck, two cargo trucks, two Land Rover 4×4 vehicles and one Nissan 4×4 vehicle.
According to organisers, all vehicles were manually operated to ease maintenance and improve efficiency under local road conditions. They were fully serviced before shipment, fitted with new tyres, and subjected to technical inspections.
Beyond the fleet, STARUP Foundation also provided wildfire firefighting tools, personal protective equipment for firefighters, power generators, welding machines, printers, professional Kenwood radio communication systems, firefighting hoses and firefighting kits.
The communication equipment forms part of a national emergency radio communication project. STARUP Foundation has been implemented across The Gambia over the past two years to modernise and connect emergency services.
The initiative was carried out with support from The Gambia’s Ministry of Interior and international partners including Cabildo de Gran Canaria, FEMEPA, GESPORT, Konica Minolta, Fundación La Laboral, BINTER, Bakadaji Hotel and Sapeurs-Pompiers du Sénégal.
Fire service personnel welcomed the donation as a major intervention in addressing longstanding resource shortages and outdated equipment that have affected emergency operations for years.
STARUP Foundation President Sonja Arup said the donation goes beyond vehicles and equipment, describing it as “a symbol of friendship, solidarity, cooperation and shared humanity” between the people of the Canary Islands and The Gambia.
President Arup emphasised that the donation represents far more than the handover of vehicles and equipment. It stands as a symbol of friendship, solidarity, cooperation, and shared humanity between the people of the Canary Islands in Spain and the Republic of The Gambia.
The latest support builds on STARUP Foundation’s engagement with The Gambia since late 2023 and marks another step in efforts to modernise the country’s fire and rescue capabilities through international cooperation.
