Council approves donation of retired turnout gear to Rotary for shipment to Lima, Peru

Strongsville City Council on Sept. 2 approved ordinances authorizing the disposal and donation of used, obsolete fire department equipment through the Strongsville Rotary Club for shipment to a fire department in Lima, Peru.

Why this matters: The fire chief described turnout gear as having a 10-year service life; once gear reaches the end of that period it is no longer safe for local use but can be useful in departments abroad that lack protective equipment. The city will donate the equipment to the Rotary, which will manage shipping and logistics.

Chief Draves said the city has followed the practice before and described the Rotary as an experienced logistics partner; he asked council to authorize the transfer and donation so the Rotary could facilitate transport to a beneficiary department in Lima, Peru. Council suspended and adopted both related ordinances authorizing disposal and donation.

Ending: The donated equipment will be transferred to Rotary for shipment; council members thanked the fire department and Rotary for facilitating the donations.