By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer

NORTHFIELD – Although it is more than 1,000 miles from Atlantic County, the rural town of Chichicastenango, high in the mountains of Guatemala, now has a distinct connection to a number of local cities.

Thanks to the goodwill of fire companies in Northfield, Absecon, Pleasantville, Margate, Hammonton, Atlantic City, Bayview and Sea Isle, Chichicastenango and eight other volunteer fire companies in the Central American country of Guatemala are the recipients of used fire equipment that is outdated here but welcomed there.

The effort stemmed from a project of the Absecon United Methodist Church, which annually sends a mission to Guatemala to help build homes and schools.

Barry Hackett, the brother of Northfield fire inspector Ed Hackett, has been traveling to Guatemala for more than a decade as part of the annual mission.

He pulled the effort together that brought 75 sets of hoods, coats, boots and gloves to firefighters in Chichicastenango.

“This is gold to these guys,” said assistant fire chief Lauren Crooks. “By U.S. Fire Code there is equipment we are no longer allowed to use. We can’t sell it or do anything with it, but it is still in decent shape, so we were glad to find someone who could use it.”

Ed Hackett said that a few years ago he gathered up some of his old equipment and sent it with his brother and sister-in-law, Susan, when they made a previous visit to Guatemala. “I am a short guy, and most of the people in Guatemala tend to be kind of short, so when they got my old equipment it was like Christmas to someone,” he said.

“Then we decided to try and do more. Donating to this was opened up to the whole county. It took about three months for it all to be cleaned up and collected. This was our last shipment for a while because it is expensive to ship, plus they have to pay to get it out of customs,” said Hackett.

He said Tuesday that it cost $1,600 to ship the equipment – more than three pallets’ worth – and the cost to get it out of customs in Guatemala City was $2,000, which was paid for by church donations.

Hackett told the story of a fire that had ravaged the hillside in Chichicastenango and how volunteer firefighters battled the blaze and managed to save the mission that had been built several years before. Having better equipment could have helped them save more, he said.

“They are so appreciative of this equipment. What the guys here managed to get together from around the county was distributed and outfitted nine volunteer fire departments in Guatemala,” he said.

Northfield City Councilwoman Cindy Kern, the head of the committee that oversees the fire department, said Monday that she was happy to see the outdated equipment given a second life.

“I am very pleased that the Northfield Fire Department have partnered with this effort to help their fellow firefighters in Guatemala, understanding the need to help the fire protection effort in their country,” Kern said.