Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Since being deployed to Nepal in 2015 as part of the United Kingdom International Search and rescue team Watch Commander John Aitchison has continued humanitarian support to Nepal in the form of Capacity building for Disaster preparedness.

Under the banner of Fire Aid and International Development he supports Nepal based charities involved in humanitarian work.

John was detached to the Royal British Gurkha Rifle Regiment during much of his 2015 deployment, working high in the mountains assessing damage to infrastructure and collating live casualty and fatality data that was used by the United Nations for further Humanitarian aid interventions. The collaboration with the British Gurkhas continues to this day with Fire Aid Nepal support and training for the Gurkha Welfare Trust in Nepal.

John Co-founded Fire Aid Nepal Project in 2015 with former Station Commander John Monahan of Devon and Summerset Fire Rescue Service who had been involved in delivery of fire kit and training in Nepal since 2012. To date John has returned to Nepal on six missions delivering training equipment and humanitarian services. John has made a long-term commitment to assist the search and rescue services of Nepal and the children of their orphanages. He has invested much of his annual leave and as well as fundraising and receiving kind donations, has paid for flights out of his own pocket.

The team continue to visit the region, with the most recent trip planned for November 2024, training will be delivered in the Everest region with Everest Fire And Rescue, a Service that John helped create. The team will also deliver Urban Search and Rescue training to the Nepal Armed Police force and continue a fire safety initiative with the Ghurka Welfare Trust.

John has started a Just Giving page to help raise funds to continue his efforts and that of the Fire Aid Nepal Team.

For further information please contact John Aitchison using john.aitchison@firescotland.gov.uk

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