Den 23. Januar 2011 fik HP denne Mercedes 608 brandbil fra Aabenraa Brandstation og vi kørte den hjem på Skiveegnen. Nu er det op til Nepaleserne at få en importgodkendelse, og for Phaplu Flyveplads og Phaplu-Salleri Brandværn at gøre passende forberedelser, så vi kan få den transporteret til Phaplu-Salleri.

On 23. January 2011 Aabenraa Fire Station handed over this Mercedes 608 Fire Engine to HP. Now it is up to the concerned Nepaleese to achieve an Import Approval and up to Phaplu Airstrip and Phaplu-Salleri Fire Brigade to make appropriate preparations to receive this precious emergency equipment.

The main city of Solukhumbu District is Salleri and a few kilometers to the north is the town Phaplu with the Phaplu Airstrip. The two townships are connected by a road, and this road continues southwards to the lowland connecting to the national highways. As the price on land is exorbitant high, the houses are build very closely together with a lot of wood. So a fire starting in one house will very rapidly spread to the neighbouring houses. At Phaplu Airstrip there are no Emergency Force or fire equipment, which is very worryingly, as the airstrip is as back-up for the very busy Lukhla Airstrip.
In autumn 2010 citicens of Phaplu-Salleri and officials around the airstrip did show a very great interest to establish a Fire Brigade and to have a fire engine and equipment delivered from Denmark. But Nepal has a law banning the import of vehicles older than 10 years, so an exemption will be demanded to have import approval of this fire engine. And this can show quite difficult during the current political situation.

Mercedes Benz L 608 D
1976 model
Has run 25.040 km
Water tank 1.000 liter
2 low pressure hoses 40-60 meter
Pump for suction from any source of water

Download specification sheet

Mercedes 608 is a sturdy, old-fashioned and honest vehicle. The technical instruments and valves are all manually operated with only less electronic control. People with a minor knowledge about eginenes and mechanics will be able to make most repairs with some steel wire, screwdriver and some wrenches. It is very efficient even it is small, and has all the years been very popular at Aabenraa Fire Station.

Sidst i Januar 2011 blev der sendt et Project Proposal til Phaplu-Salleri med krav om, at de skal se at komme i gang, hvis de vil have brandbilen. Der stilles 4 hovedkrav, som skal være opfyldt eller i det mindste i en positiv udvikling inden Efteråret 2011:

1.) Der skal foreligge en dispensation fra den Lov, der forbyder import af køretøjer ældre end 10 år.
2.) Phaplu-Salleri Fire Brigade skal være etableret som beskrevet i HP's koncept papir, Village Fire Brigade i Engelsk og Nepali Udgave.
3.) En Brandstation skal bygges, hvor alt aktuelt grej kan opmagasineres, eller i det mindste at brandbilen kan komme i er ordentlig garage.
4.) En rullende vandtank på mindst 5.000 liter skal fremskaffes, evt som anhænger til brandbilen.

Hvis borgerne i Phaplu-Salleri ikke formår at opfylde disse fire punkter, så vil vi finde andre der trænger til beredskabsudstyr, fx. i Balticum.

By end of January 2011 a Project Proposal were sent for Phaplu-Salleri with a demand that they personally take action in fulfilling their part of the project by doing the four main demands:

1. Achieve an Approval from Local and Central Bodies waiving the Rule of Import of Vehicles not older than 10 years of age.
2. Establishing Phaplu-Salleri Fire Brigade as described in “Himalayan Project Village Fire Brigade” (also Nepali version).
3. Establishing a Fire Station or at least a proper Garage and Store Room, where Fire Engine and equipment can be stored in a proper way.
4. Mobile Water Tank more than 5.000 liter. Can be as a hanger for the Fire Vehicle.

If they don't succeed in fulfilling this, we will try to find others more easily accessible places, where they will love to have this Fire Engine, for instance in the Baltic Countries.