Firefighters from East Grinstead Fire Station have taken on the world’s highest mountain in a bid to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity.
Beginning at 9am yesterday morning (Friday 5 June), the firefighters based at the station on London Road, scaled their fire engine’s ladder 356 times, and ran out the hose 200 times – notching up 8,848 metres, the height of Mount Everest.
After giving it their all, the crew completed their mission in five hours.
Fire stations across West Sussex have been challenged by Station Commander Phil Maynard to come up with innovative ways of raising money for the charity, which supports serving and former firefighters as well as their families in times of need.
Phil, who oversaw the crew’s efforts, said: “I couldn’t be more proud of what they have achieved. The effort the crew have put into this enormous challenge has been phenomenal. 8,848 metres might not sound very far to those people who regularly run 5k or 10k, but when you’re running up a ladder in fire kit, or running out a hose onto the drill yard, you feel every single metre. They have done an absolutely tremendous job.
“I felt that their challenge was ambitious – but they have gone above and beyond to achieve their target, and they have now set the bar incredibly high for the other stations across the county.
“The Fire Fighters Charity is an exceptional charity, and one which is very close to many of our hearts. Unlike some other charities, it continues its support for firefighters long after they have left the service, ensuring they receive the help and support they need to process some of the difficult situations that we all find ourselves in as frontline firefighters.
“The charity has been there in the moment of need for countless firefighters over the years, helping them deal with mental health issues as well as physical injuries and helped get them back on their way, and back on the run to help keep their communities safe.”
Phil has set the county’s 25 fire station’s the ambitious target of raising £25,000 by the end of the year for the charity.
Already, the East Grinstead crew have managed to raise £1,678.49.
You can donate towards their fundraising here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/east-grinstead-fire-station.
