A Morgan Hill enterprise proprietor teamed up with firefighters and volunteers from all through the Bay Space just lately to donate essential tools to fireplace departments in war-torn Ukraine.

Shawn Sahbari, President and CEO of Komodo Hearth Methods, Inc., grew to become concerned within the effort by means of his good friend and firm’s technical advisor, retired Menlo Park Hearth Chief Harold Schapelhouman. “Chief Harold” requested Sahbari months in the past if he may assist in an effort to donate provides and tools to Ukrainian firefighters, Sahbari recalled.

Shawn Sahbari, President and CEO of Komodo Hearth Methods, Inc., is pictured Aug. 22 on the firm’s Morgan Hill headquarters. Photograph by Michael Moore

“The idea was, American firefighters serving to Ukrainian firefighters by simply giving them used tools, however good tools, that we hope they’ll use,” Sahbari stated. “I stated if there’s something we will do to offer a little bit little bit of hope to the folks which might be in that type of struggling, then by all signifies that’s the least we will do.”

The trouble culminated in an Aug. 11 gathering at Komodo Hearth Methods’ headquarters on Jarvis Drive, the place firefighters and volunteers from all through the state helped load the donated gadgets onto a 40-foot delivery crate. From there, the provides started their journey to the japanese European nation that has suffered from a sustained invasion by neighboring Russian forces since February.

Donated gadgets included every little thing from helmets, hand instruments, clothes and different firefighting provides.

The trouble started in April, with Schapelhouman and others reaching out to companies concerning the want for instruments in Ukraine.

Schapelhouman stated that his place as an immigrant and husband to a half-Ukrainian girl has introduced the difficulty of the conflict in Ukraine nearer to house.

The previous hearth chief, who additionally labored for the Federal Emergency Administration Company and the California Governor’s Workplace of Emergency Providers for city search and rescue, believes that it doesn’t matter what, these doing rescue work in Ukraine want assist.

With many efforts aiding Ukraine in different respects, Schapelhouman needed to give attention to firefighting tools, which could be exhausting to return by.

Schapelhouman stated the donations of operable tools poured in from hearth departments and companies within the Bay Space and past, together with the San Francisco Hearth Division and San Mateo Consolidated Hearth Division.

Different donors of kit and volunteer assist included San Francisco Firefighters Native 798, Sacramento Metro Hearth District, FireNuggets.com, Central Marin Hearth Division, San Francisco Hearth Division Reserves, Metropolis School of San Francisco’s Hearth Science Division, Los Bomberos de San Francisco and United Hearth Service Girls.

Volunteers additionally included aspiring firefighters and a church group, doing duties starting from heavy lifting to cleansing and organizing.

“That’s the great a part of doing the work is watching folks come collectively for a typical trigger and be capable to have them really feel glad that they received to take part in one thing that was worthwhile,” Schapelhouman stated.

The retired chief added {that a} key facet of the operation has been making the suitable contacts on the loaded delivery container’s journey to Ukraine, to be able to make certain the cargo arrives at its supposed vacation spot. The container is on its method to Poland earlier than its contents are dispersed to completely different areas of want in Ukraine.

“This reveals that not less than they’ve firefighters right here which might be occupied with them,” added Sahbari.

As soon as the gadgets safely make their method to Ukrainian firefighters, their Bay Space counterparts plan to proceed the trouble with one other donation. Sahbari stated that operation is already in its early levels, and he hopes to assist out once more.

Komodo Hearth Methods moved to Morgan Hill about two years in the past, and a few of the firm’s patented hearth suppressant merchandise have develop into commercially accessible inside the final 12 months, Sahbari stated.right here for Details about the way to donate to Ukrainian reduction organizations The corporate was based on the rising want to deal with the western U.S. wildfire downside from a “holistic method” that’s environmentally protected and able to stopping huge losses of property and life.

Sahbari stated the placement of CalFire’s Santa Clara Unit in Morgan Hill was a consider his resolution to maneuver Komodo’s headquarters from Gilroy.

“Komodo was designed as a preventive answer,” Sahbari stated. “We noticed the wildfire downside as a regional and world subject and it was increasing 12 months over 12 months by way of the quantity, and dimension of fires, and the length they had been burning.”

Click on right here for Details about the way to donate to Ukrainian reduction organizations.