Middlesex firefighters donate old equipment to Belize firefighters

by Tom Chillemi –

Area fire departments are donating firefighting equipment that no longer meets regulations in the United States to the Caribbean nation of Belize.

Since 2016 the Belize Heroes program has been recycling outdated, but usable, firefighting equipment. Belize Heroes was started by Archibald “Mac” McFarlane, who has worked for Hanover Fire and Rescue for 13 years and is a former Belize firefighter. Since 2000, McFarlane had been collecting old equipment on his own and shipping it to his homeland.

He formalized his efforts in 2016 by forming Belize Heroes.

McFarlane explained that Belize Heroes placed a call for help on various social media platforms and continues to do so as needs of the Belize National Fire Service change. Chief Paul Murray of the Lower Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department (LMVFD) in Deltaville answered that call for help with hoses, extrication tools, turnout gears, portable and mobile radios, pagers and portable pumps to name a few. “Chief Murray went a step further and reached out to his neighboring fire and EMS departments asking them for support on our behalf,” said McFarlane. “I play a voicemail he left on my phone several times, excited with the outpouring of support we were receiving. His voice message said, ‘Hey my friend, give me a call when you get a chance, I have equipment raining down on me now.’ ”

McFarlane was a Belize firefighter for nine years before moving to Virginia and joining the Chesterfield Fire and EMS, where he met Murray…