Langford firefighters, a school principal and other volunteers are in Haiti this week.
Langford fire Chief Bob Beckett and Lt. Steve Adams headed overseas Sunday with Savory elementary school principal Jane Penn and Glenwood Meats owner Rick Fisher.
Langford’s former chief building inspector Dan Reynolds and Eric Carlson, an irrigation specialist from Sidney, round out the crew of six that will install a rainwater retention system at a local school. Currently the school has one tank, holding up to 500 gallons of water collected from roof runoff. The tank provides water for more than 400 students.
“We are going to install as many tanks as we can afford,” said Beckett.
Penn packed school supplies for the students and hopes to find out what they need and get the parents and students of Savory elementary school to help out.
“I want to build communications with the school and the school board there,” Penn said. “I want to twin the schools and build a global community.”
The team is also set to install a backup battery system at an orphanage to power the fridge and freezer. The inconsistent municipal power supply is creating problems for food storage.
“As a father I can really relate from what I want for my child to have. I want my daughter to have food, safety and education and I want to help these kids get that,” said Adams, who is making his sixth trip to Haiti.
All volunteers pay their own travel to allow all donations to be put back into the community.
Langford Fire Rescue along with other community volunteers have worked with the orphanage in Haiti for a number of years and this is the first time they are branching out to help other aspects of the community.
“The conditions are rough down there,” Beckett said.
“Our transportation is in the back of a truck with wooden slats. We rented an apartment and we think there are three beds and there are six of us.”
The volunteers are slated to return Dec. 3.
