Fire truck donation bails out African nation

Wednesday, October 4, 2006 - The African nation of Guinea Bissau, a country only slightly larger than the state of Maryland, will trade in its bucket brigade for its first ever fire truck today, thanks to some big-hearted folks from Plymouth and several local fire chiefs.

Representative Vinny deMacedo of Plymouth started the campaign for the West African country of 1.5 million people when a constituent working there told him about a fire that razed an entire marketplace. “It really struck me that they didn’t have a fire truck at all in the entire country,” said deMacedo. “They used a bucket brigade.”

DeMacedo got in touch with the state fire marshal and local fire chiefs. They directed him to Greenwood Motors of North Attleboro, which had recently purchased a used fire engine. Problem was, the price was listed as $2,500, a bit more than deMacedo had raised.

“I reached out to the community and got a donation from my brother for the remaining amount,” said deMacedo, about local businessman Olly deMacedo. “The fire chief from Hanson, Al Hoyt, is donating hoses and my chief is offering training.”

The fire truck, being shipped from New York, is scheduled to be handed over today to the fire chief of Guinea Bissau in a ceremony at Cedarville Fire Station in Plymouth.

Boston Herald - By Steven Ryan