Jersey City, Hoboken and North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue firefighters expert in teaching rescue are traveling to the Dominican Republic Sunday to train firefighters there and donate 20 fire suits to their poorly equipped counterparts, officials said.
"They are doing it on their own time and on their own dime," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. "These guys have taken it upon themselves to offer training to a very poor country."
The five firefighters will bring the 20 firefighting suits donated by the Jersey City Fire Department when they go on the week-long trip, organized by the Hispanic Firefighters Society of Hudson County, said Jersey City Fire Director Armando Roman. The group will teach self rescue and firefighter rescue and is led by Jersey City Battalion Chief Robert Cobb, who has developed numerous rescue techniques and teaches them across the country.
"When I leave, I hope it makes the fire ground a little safer for them," said Cobb. "That's the bottom line. If I make the fire ground a little safer for them, I've accomplished what I want to."
