Safety in the Hills: Bringing Life-Saving Expertise to Gurkha Communities

In the heart of Nepal’s quiet hills and remote villages, fire safety is a critical part of keeping our communities safe.

Since 2009, our partnership with the UK-based charity Fire Aid has grown into a vital part of our community safety initiatives in Nepal. What began nearly 16 years ago as a mission to provide basic protective gear for local firefighters has evolved into a comprehensive nationwide support network.

A Mission Born from a Chance Encounter

Fire Aid is a UK-based charity that works to improve fire safety and emergency response in high-risk communities across the world.

The charity was inspired by a chance visit to Nepal in 2009 by John Monaghan, who witnessed something he would never forget: brave local firefighters responding to emergency calls wearing nothing more than T-shirts and flip-flops, sharing a handful of tin helmets and worn-out boots.

Deeply moved by their courage in the face of such substandard gear, John returned to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and asked for end-of-service PPE to be donated to Nepal. With the assistance of the British Gurkhas in Nepal he has continued to source and donate vehicles, PPE, equipment and more ever since.

Keeping Our Communities Safe

Because many homes in Nepal are built closely together and rely on open fires or LPG gas for cooking, a small fire can quickly become a major emergency. This is why early detection is so vital.

Fire Aid works with FireAngel to install early warning detection systems, such as smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, in community hubs and homes. Our Area Welfare Centres across Nepal are also being fitted with these systems, providing vital protection for our staff and the pensioners who use our services.

Empowering Communities

Fire Aid provides much more than just equipment; they provide the vital skills and knowledge our teams need to protect their communities.

– Hands-on Training: Volunteers have been visiting our Area Welfare Centres in places like Lamjung, Gorkha, Tanahun, and Kaski to install alarms and teach staff and neighbours how to maintain them.

– Beyond Alarms: Since 2018, we’ve worked with Fire Aid to provide fire awareness training for our staff and even donated fire-fighting kits and professional PPE to local fire stations.

– Essential Equipment: Our partnership has also delivered life-saving defibrillators and “Aquabox” water kits to all 22 of our Area Welfare Centres.

“The equipment donated has significantly enhanced our ability to support our elderly beneficiaries and communities across Nepal. It has strengthened our capability and resilience in disaster relief operations. Without your energy and selfless diligence, none of this would have been achieved.” Captain George Searle, GWT Nepal

More Than Just Fire Safety

The kindness of the Fire Aid team extends far beyond equipment and alarms. Over the years, they have touched the lives of the Gurkha community in so many ways:

– For the Children: They’ve donated clothes, toys, mattresses, and even refurbished laptops and iPads to help rebuild IT suites in local schools and orphanages.

– For Medical Care: Their donation of specialised shelters and stretchers allows our medical teams to run mobile clinics for dentistry and vaccinations in the most remote areas.

“I just wanted to write and thank you for the amazing work you and your fellow firefighters have been doing in Nepal, particularly around Kathmandu, over the past thirteen years since you first came across a Nepalese fire team trying to cope with poor equipment, vehicles and clothing. I have been enormously impressed to learn that you have not only helped so many already, but continue to do so with the now well-established Fire Aid Nepal training programmes. I am full of admiration for the huge amount of work – most of it, I believe, in your own time – you have dedicated to Nepal and its people. How very fortunate we are in this country to have such wonderfully generous people like yourself doing such remarkably selfless things …” King Charles

Looking to the Future

We are extremely grateful to Fire Aid for helping to keep our Gurkha communities safe. By combining local knowledge with technical expertise, they are ensuring that when a fire alarm sounds, families have the vital time they need to act and stay safe.

“On behalf of all the staff and veterans who are now living and working in a safer environment – thank you for the generosity of your organisation, and to John and his team, for making it all happen. I hope that we can maintain this most productive relationship for many years to come.” GWT UK Chief of Staff