In 2012, Fire Chief Dave Moore went on a mission to Nairobi, Kenya, with the intent of providing basic fire safety training to teachers and social workers at Missions of Hope International in the Mathare Valley slum community.
What he saw was shocking. Firefighters were fighting fires in street clothes and flip flops. When firefighters arrived at an emergency scene, they were often insulted or physically assaulted, and experienced damages to their already limited fire equipment. Moore learned that this was the case throughout Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa.
While he was there, he met with the chief fire officer of the Nairobi Fire Service, who shared Nairobi’s stark fire service needs. He learned that Chief Brian Kisali was tasked with protecting a city of 5 million people with only two working fire engines, one ladder truck, and a few other assorted pieces of fire apparatus with three fire stations and 156 firefighters.
Where most of the United States and Europe has modern, well-staffed and well-funded fire services, firefighters in Nairobi lacked quality firefighting apparatus and basic PPE, such as bunker gear and breathing apparatus.
It was then that Moore decided to start Africa Fire Mission (AFM).
Making a difference
AFM is a non-profit organization committed to increasing the sustainable capacity of fire departments across Africa. They accomplish this through training, empowerment, support and encouragement. In 2016, AFM was named the top honoree in the Community Service Award category of the Firehouse Valor and Community Service Awards.
AFM team members come from different backgrounds: active and retired, paid and volunteer firefighters from all over the U.S. who meet in the host country to conduct training. AFM sends these teams of firefighters, emergency medical services personnel and social workers into the countries they serve to train the existing fire services and to help develop new fire services when none exist with a “train-the-trainer” model to ensure that fire services are building their own capacity and will not need to solely rely on outside assistance. Fire departments are able to sustain and grow their capabilities faster with technical support, advocacy and training.
They conduct fire training programs to train firefighters, EMTs, and community members in firefighting skills, mental wellness, disaster response, public safety, fire technology and basic first aid.
Additionally, AFM’s Fire Safety Advocate, Jose Ngunjiri, facilitates community fire-safety trainings and fire-prevention broadcasts via TV, radio and newspapers throughout Kenya, with a goal of expanding this role to other countries.
In each country or community where AFM works, they seek three partnerships:
- Formal or informal groups of firefighters who want to expand the scope of the fire service in their community/country
- Mission organizations or non-government organizations that have local community knowledge and cultural awareness with expertise in advocacy and community development
- Local or national government connections that can effectively impact the long-term development of the fire service
To meet these needs, AFM uses the Community Health Education (CHE) model to address needs wholistically. They have seen that addressing needs from a physical, spiritual, vocational and educational approach has the greatest impact on individuals, communities and governments. CHE is a global network that is working in approximately 130 countries across the world.
A successful mission
AFM just returned from a very successful trip to Kenya in September. Three volunteers spent the week in Nairobi, Kenya, with Ngunjiri. They were joined by three interns, local firefighters and instructors who want to make a difference in their communities.
“The purpose [of this trip] was to conduct fire safety evaluations and emergency evacuation drills in schools and dormitories,” explains Jerry Bennett, AFM volunteer and board member. “The goal is for local firefighters to replicate these activities across Kenya. We visited 18 schools with over 16,000 students. None of the schools had ever performed an evacuation drill. As it turned out, our visit was timely as a dormitory fire took the lives of 22 Kenyan boys the week before we arrived.”
Boarding school dormitories in Kenya often house more than 1,000 students but are not equipped with smoke alarms. Heavy doors are commonly padlocked shut at night for security purposes without procedures in place for emergency exit.
“In the U.S., we overcome the security vs. safety challenge with expensive doors, panic hardware, alarm systems, and security cameras,” says Bennett. “The temptation is to apply American solutions to African problems, but they almost always prove unsustainable. Modern egress assemblies require reliable electrical power, backup batteries, and generators. In the absence of technology, policy and procedure take a much more significant role in public safety.”
Another problem that Bennett points out is the lack of apparatus.
“Everywhere we have been in Africa, there is a shortage of fire apparatus,” he adds. “Well-meaning American and European fire departments have donated hundreds of used engines and ladder trucks, but every fire station we visit has multiple broken down apparatus with no means of repair.”
These challenges may seem insurmountable, but that is why AFM supports, empowers, and encourages local African firefighters and community members to develop their own solutions to problems.
“At the core is the mindset that the solution to the fire problem must be African, not American or European,” says Bennett.
AFM now works in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Zambia, providing consultation to fire services in other parts of Africa as well. Their weekly online trainings reach participants in over 20 countries, even expanding beyond Africa to firefighters in the Middle East and Asi).
They are doing incredible work, but they need help.
How you can help
AFM needs additional instructors to expand its capacity to train firefighters across Africa. They are especially recruiting for their programs in Malawi and Zambia for 2025.
“We have a fantastic core of instructors and need more as we continue to grow,” says Co-Founder and Executive Director Nancy L. Moore. “Our goal in 2025 is to have 75 instructors that can help us to train in all of our programs.”
If you are interested in joining them, AFM has several trips scheduled for 2025.
“With more instructors, we can provide more essential skills and resources for firefighters,” says Nancy Moore. “This will improve the safety and effectiveness of local fire departments, reducing fire-related injuries and deaths. The demand for fire training is growing, and more instructors will enable Africa Fire Mission to meet this critical need.”
Aside from instructors, the mission also needs funding and new equipment.
Firefighters have very little quality PPE in much of Africa, but AFM is working to change that.
“Our goal is for every firefighter in Africa to have PPE that protects them from fire,” says Moore. “We accept new and used personal protective equipment in clean and serviceable condition at our storage location in Cincinnati.”
For donations, departments need to make arrangements with AFM to ship or bring approved items to their storage facility in Cincinnati. They are currently collecting equipment for several shipments to Africa and can send 600–800 sets in a shipping container.
If you can’t spare any PPE but still want to help, donations can be made on their website and questions can be directed to [email protected].
Steven Shaw | Managing Editor, Firehouse.com
Steven Shaw is the managing editor of Firehouse.com. Shaw served as editorial director of the James H. Neal Award-winning “WTC: In Their Own Words” and “Hot Shots: Spectacular Fire Photos.” He previously served as editor-in-chief of Industrial Photography, The Commercial Image and Studio Photography and Design.
