LA county sent surplus firefighting equipment to Ukraine

Ukrainian first responders will soon be receiving some much-needed equipment from all the way in Los Angeles County.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department announced this week it would be sending some surplus supplies across the globe to Ukraine as the country staves off the ongoing Russian invasion.

Boots, hoses, nozzles, body armor and medication were among the items packed and shipped out during an event earlier this week.

The care package was loaded at an L.A. County fire station in Inglewood on Thursday afternoon. Fire Chief Daryl Osby and county supervisor Janice Hahn were in attendance and helped pack up the items.

“As Ukrainian firefighters continue to work under extreme peril to remove victims with limited resources, we felt the need to step up and help in some way,” said Osby in a news release.

As the conflict in Ukraine reaches its fourth straight week, first responders are being hampered by supply shortages and lack of equipment, the Fire Department said.

“It is our hope that this equipment will help Ukrainian first responders continue to save lives and help them in some small way to resist the Russian invasion,” said Hahn, who is the designated supervisor overseeing the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Earlier in March, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hahn added. The board also voted on actions to help refugees of the Russian invasion and explore the possibility of severing ties with companies that do business in Russia.