Scottish fire appliance to be sent to Paraguay

A fire appliance being sent to Paraguay by Scotland's biggest fire service charity will be officially named later.

It will be called Angel Franco, after the senior golfer from Paraguay.

He is playing at a tournament at North Berwick and will take part in the naming ceremony.

The International Fire and Rescue Association (IFRA), which is organising the delivery of the fire appliance, said firefighters in Paraguay are often poorly equipped.

IFRA chairman David Kay said: "It's fantastic that this appliance will be named after such a well-known figure in Paraguay and even better that it will be stationed near his home.

"I know that it has come to the end of its working life in Scotland but its still very able to save lives 6,000 miles away for many more years."

Angel Franco is taking part in the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Seniors Open at Archerfield Golf Club in North Berwick.

The Angel Franco fire engine will be sent to the city Luque.

It is the 81st appliance delivered by IFRA since it was founded in 2002. A total of 19 countries have benefitted.

Mr Kay said that volunteer firefighters in many of these countries have "little training, few appliances and no equipment".

He added: "Once we have finished with it here, IFRA with the support of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other agencies collect and send all the equipment we can to help kit out and equip the volunteers in these countries.

"Then we drive or fly out as we have on 58 previous training missions to ensure they are trained to the highest standards to allow them to safely save more lives.

"It's great to think that all this redundant and superseded kit continues to save people in other countries long after we stop using it and the people of Scotland should be justifiably proud of this."