Increased Storage at our North West Facility – June 2021
In July Operation Florian Extended the storage capacity of the North West facility by providing an additional container. Our sincere thanks go to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service for allowing us to use their land and for the continued support we receive.
All we need now is a lick of paint and we are good to go
Read the full storyEquipment Donation from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service – June 2021
Operation Florian received a substantial donation of equipment from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service in July 2021.
The donation consisted of PPE, survival clothing and a range of other equipment. These items will be distributed between a number of planned projects over the next 18 months.
Without the help of UK FRS and other organisations we could not fulfil our aims of creating safer communities throughout the world.
If your Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance Service or organisation is changing or updating your equipment, vehicles and/or PPE, please ask if it can be donated to Operation Florian.
Donation of Equipment – Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service July 2021
Operation Florian has received a substantial donation of equipment from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service in July 2021. The donation consisted of mainly of PPV fans, ackron branches, helmets and many other items. These items will be distributed between a number of planned projects over the next 18 months. Without the help of UK FRS and other organisations we could not fulfill our aims of creating safer communities throughout the world.
This equipment still has a service life which will enable Fire Services in developing nations serve their communities needs.
Another vital aspect of these donations which is often over looked is recycling equipment. Decreasing the “carbon foot print” of the organisations that give Operation Florian equipment, vehicles and PPE. This is especially prominent in view of recent events in “Global Warming”.
If your Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance Service or organisation is changing/up dating your equipment, vehicles or PPE, please ask if it can be donated to Operation Florian. If can be donated contact the charity through our website.
Operation Florian would like to thank Nick Regan and his colleague Craig Howell from Cheshire FRS for organizing, storing and delivering this vital equipment. A special thanks to Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service for allowing this donation.
Read the full storyEquipment Donation Manchester City Airport
Operation Florian was very grateful to receive a donation of Hi-Viz PPE work gear from City Airport and Manchester Heliport at Barton Manchester. This gift of PPE will benefit many emergency service workers throughout the world.
Many emergency services do not have hi-viz ppe. This means they are not easily identified/seen at incidents and especially at “Road Traffic Collisions” by moving vehicles. This donation will make their working environment a lot safer.
Operation Florian works on projects with all sections of the emergency services from Fire Service, Ambulance Service, Water Rescue, Urban search and Rescue, Council Service Teams, Service Engineering Teams to name but a few. This donation can be distributed to many of those organisations and make their work place safer.
This hi-viz donation consisted of coats. jackets, tabards, trousers, safety helmets and safety shoes.
Operation Florian would like to thank City Airport (Manchester Barton) and Manchester Heliport for this kind donation and supporting the charity in helping others.
This donation would not have been possible without effort and time given by Operation Florian member Gary Higson. Gary has worked on a number of projects for the charity throughout the world. On this venture Gary was helped by his friend Dave Clare. Operation Florian appreciates the time given by Dave and using his vehicle to transport part of the donation.
Read the full storyTribute to Vinko Bakija – Operation Florian member who played a crucial role in our work in the Balkans
The charity was devastated to hear that Vinko passed away suddenly in January this year. The article below in a Croatian Fire Journal highlights the tremendous contribution he made to the work of Operation Florian and his region. Rest in Peace Brother.
Vatrogasni Viesnik is the Croatian Firefighters Journal which highlights key events, discussions and all aspects of the profession.
TRANSLATION: Courtesy of Renata Ĉete Secretary of the Baranja Fire Association
VINKO BAKIJA – AN IMPORTANT LINK OF “OPERATION FLORIAN”
Vinko Bakija, university professor, doctor of science, senior lecturer at the Department of Tourism of the University of Zadar, but also one of the key people in the most sensitive days of the revitalization of firefighting on the island of Brač, died suddenly in Zadar on January 31, 2021.
In an attempt to revive the tradition of volunteer firefighting on our largest central Dalmatian island after the Homeland War, the whole initiative was based on energy, enthusiasm and pure stubbornness of a group of people, including Vinko Bakija.
He was the main link in the realization of donations on which the work of Brač firefighters depended in those post-war times and, on the Croatian side, one of the key implementers of “Operation Florian”, eight years of cooperation with firefighters from Great Britain. Brač, and later throughout Croatia, constantly supplied with valuable firefighting equipment and vehicles.
It was one of the cornerstones on which our present-day Brač fire brigades rest, organized according to all the rules of the firefighting profession, in the laying of which the hands of Professor Bakija were inevitable and unquestionable.
The sudden death of Vinko Bakija is therefore an irreparable loss, not only for the academic community in which he worked professionally, but also for the fire service, whom he selflessly helped with all his knowledge and abilities in its most sensitive moments.
OPERATION FLORIAN
The humanitarian organization “Operation Florian” based in England, established in 1994 to aid rescue and fire brigades in the Republic of Croatia, delivered in the period from 1994 to 2002 to the territory of the Republic of Croatia 70 fire engines and large quantities of fire equipment such as personal and group protective equipment, breathing apparatus sets, fire fittings, rescue equipment, resuscitation devices, etc.
The peculiarity of these actions was that the donations were directed to areas where the fire organization was not able in the foreseeable future to procure satisfactory engineering and equipment (war-torn areas) and the development of fire and fire protection was given significant impetus.
The provision of aid, which began in 1994, primarily as a cooperation based on contacts between the voluntary fire brigade Supetar and the humanitarian organization “Operation Florian”, branched out and expanded to such an extent that the amount of collected firefighting equipment in England was too large for the island of Brač and in 1996 the cooperation was raised to the level of the Republic of Croatia.
In cooperation with the Croatian Fire Association and the Ministry of the Interior, “Operation Florijan Croatia” successfully organized 7 fire camps in the Republic of Croatia, which were held initially in Supetar on Brač, and until 2002 as dispersed camps throughout the Republic of Croatia.
Through “Operation Florian”, initiatives have been launched regarding the involvement of the Croatian Fire Association in the international fire organization NFPA, cooperation has been established between manufacturers of firefighting equipment, in the field of training of firefighters, working with firefighters-cadets, etc.
“Operation Florian” also provided significant assistance to the Mountain Rescue Service and hospitals in the Republic of Croatia.
For all the above, the President of “Operation Florian”, Steve-Owen Hughes, was awarded the highest fire decoration of the Croatian Fire Association, Mirko Kolarić Charter, with special thanks to fire-chief Michael Anthony Doherty and hundreds of other British firefighters, who through this humanitarian and voluntary cooperation have brought immense benefits.
It should also be noted that this cooperation would never have been possible without many years of voluntary engagement of members of “Operation Florian-Croatia” led by Nikica Maričić, Ivica Vranjičić and especially the late prof. Vinko Bakija.
Jakov Zlatar
Read the full storyCleveland Fire appliance Donation April 2021
Three members of Operation Florian travelled from Lancashire to Cleveland to collect two fire appliances kindly donated by Cleveland Fire Brigade
Read the full storyEquipment Donation – Philipines March 2021
Volunteers from Operation Florian loaded a 40 ft container sponsored by the Lions Clubs international. The container was filled with firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) and other lifesaving items worth in the region of £160,000 UK pounds on the pre loved market. This valuable donation from our charity is bound for the Philippines as part of our ongoing support to the volunteer firefighters there and left the UK on the 4th April 2021. The fire service in the Philippine’s is severely affected by underfunding and many of their emergencies are tackled by volunteers with little or no PPE in some areas. Although our activities are restricted due to the worldwide pandemic, we are pleased to be able to support this vital service in whatever way we can. The charity would like to thank Lancashire Fire and Rescue service for their continued support and for providing a base for our north west stores. Recent PPE donations from Lancashire also Dorset and Wiltshire will be part of this aid. Without the fantastic support we receive from many Fire and Rescue services and the industry in general we would not be able to deliver the lifesaving support that is so gratefully received by our beneficiaries.
Area Manager Simon Fryer (Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service) With our treasurer Anthony Burscough and trustee Steve Snape 
Equipment being sorted prior to loading 
Loading commences and our donated equipment begins the long journey to support volunteers in the Philipines