Kathmandu, September 26:

The US Marine Detachment at the American Embassy, joined by Ambassador James F Moriarty, donated 12 sets of fire-fighting equipment to members of Dharmapath Fire Brigade, New Road, Kathmandu, today.

Each set of equipment consists of a fire helmet, a fire coat, a set of fire boots and a set of gloves, a statement issued by the American Centre in Kathmandu said today.

By donating 12 sets of equipment, each fireman in the brigade will now have his own set of fire-fighting protective gear, it said.

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Home Ministry Pratap Kumar Pathak, Acting in-Charge of the Dharmapath Fire Brigade Dharma Lal Shrestha and firemen received the equipment and thanked the Marines and the ambassador.

“Firefighters are real life heroes, who put their lives on the line to protect people everyday.

The American Embassy, on behalf of the Chicago City Fire Department, is proud to offer this token of appreciation to the Dharmapath Fire Brigade for their services to all people of Kathmandu,” Moriarty said.

The donation comes following an initiative of Marine Sergeant Matthew Kovats, Assistant Detachment Commander, whose father is a Chicago fireman. After a visit to the Dharmapath Fire Brigade in May, Sergeant Kovats met the Chicago City Fire Commissioner in June and requested a replacement for the Fire Brigade’s outdated equipment.

The donated equipment is the same as that used by the City of Chicago’s firemen.

The Dharmapath Fire Brigade, which was founded in 1937, currently works with traditional plastic helmets and jumpsuit-type uniforms, neither of which provide sufficient protection from the heat and smoke of a serious fire, the statement further said.