WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown and Fire Chief Jay Delaney met with Ivan Doboni of Plains after meeting previously following a rally on Public Square showing support for Ukraine.
"The mayor said to me whatever we done, he said we will help you something. So we talking and thank you so much," said Doboni.
"He came to my office about two weeks ago. We sat down, and he opened up his heart to me and told me what's happening over there. And now this is real time. He's telling me what his family's going through," said Mayor Brown.
Mayor Brown said he reached out to the city's fire department to see if there was anything that could be given to Ivan to send to his contacts in Ukraine.
"We see their firefighters every day, the perils that they have to deal with. So you put together a fairly good package of obsolete equipment in our fire department that those firefighters can use," said Chief Delaney.
The equipment includes 15 self-contained breathing apparatuses, valued at $5,000 each, and 60 tanks, valued at $1,000 each, plus a dozen helmets and three complete sets of turn-out gear.
"The staff whatever you send, very helpful whatever something happened for the bombing, fire, any kind fire, the staff wherever you give with us. It's very helpful to save somebody's life," added Doboni.
"And if we can just give them a small part to help their mission out and keep them safe. That's all we want to do," said Delaney.
"Mr. Mayor, thank you so much. Fire department, thank you so much. TV-16, thank you so much, all people in United States," said Doboni.
See more videos on our area’s connection to the Crisis in Ukraine.