– Equip Guatemalan Tomorrow’s Firefighting Heroes
TORONTO, Canada – The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, the Embassy of Guatemala in Canada, and the Canadian non-profit charity organisation “Firefighters Without Borders” held a Firefighting Equipment Donation Ceremony on 27 January 2025 at the Guatemalan Consulate General in Toronto. The event was attended by Guatemalan president Bernardo Arévalo, who personally visited Canada to witness the donation.
Representative Harry Tseng of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, and vice-chair Craig Dockeray of the board of Firefighters Without Borders presented firefighting equipment and shipping fund to the Guatemalan volunteer firefighting organisation, Bomberos Voluntarios de Guatemala.
Other notable attendees included Nathan Adams, deputy chief of Ottawa Fire Services; Guisela Godinez Sazo, Guatemalan ambassador to Canada; and Myriam de la Roca, Guatemalan Consul General in Toronto, along with representatives from Global Affairs Canada, media, and personnel from the representative office of Taiwan and embassy of Guatemala.
In October 2024, two Guatemalan firefighters were invited by the Ottawa Fire Services to undergo training in Canada. Through this connection, they were introduced to Firefighters Without Borders, which generously donated a 20-foot container of firefighting equipment, including fire hoses, helmets, boots, gloves, personal protective equipment, and ladders. Recognising the significant value of this equipment in assisting Guatemalan firefighters in combating forest and wildland fires, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada agreed to cover the shipping costs to ensure the equipment was delivered promptly to Guatemala.
In his remarks at the donation ceremony, Representative Tseng highlighted the severe forest fires surrounding Guatemala’s Volcán de Agua in February last year, which posed a serious threat to the ecological environment. Taiwan swiftly donated safety helmets and radio equipment to aid the Guatemalan government’s disaster relief efforts. With global climate extremes increasing the frequency of wildfires, this donation will help equip Guatemalan tomorrow’s firefighting heroes to save precious lives at vital moments. It also represents the first trilateral cooperation project between Taiwan, Canada, and Guatemala, serving as an exemplary model of international collaboration in mitigating climate disasters.
Last December, Guatemala and Taiwan celebrated 90 years of diplomatic ties, underscoring their close and trusted partnership founded on shared democratic and free values. In recent years, the two countries have attained numerous bilateral achievements in areas such as public health, women’s empowerment, agricultural technology, and humanitarian aid, benefitting the people of both nations.
Firefighters Without Borders is a non-governmental organisation based in Ontario, established in 2009 in memory of a Canadian firefighter who tragically lost his life in an accident. The organisation has long been committed to donating essential firefighting equipment and providing professional training to volunteer firefighters in Canada and worldwide, supporting communities in addressing wildfires and natural disasters.
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