Local firefighter aids Red Cross relief efforts
By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter
Local firefighter Sean Freeman has recently completed his fourth overseas mission with the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and the Canadian Red Cross.
Freeman returned from Nhamatanda, Mozambique where he worked on field hospital operations and capacity building in reconstruction of hospital infrastructures after the country in southeast Africa was devastated by not one, but two cyclones.
The senior firefighter and acting deputy chief has been a member of the Strathmore Fire Department (SFD) since 1995. Freeman also has background in general construction, lifeguard qualifications and outdoor, wilderness and guiding experience, and certified electrician.
According to the government of Mozambique, on March 19, cyclone Idai made landfall in Mozambique with maximum sustained winds of 170 to 190 kilometres per hour (km/h), affecting more than 1.5 million people and displacing 142,000 people, and it was confirmed to have killed 602 people in Mozambique, 344 people in Zimbabwe and 56 in Malawi. Floods covered over 3,000 square kilometres, destroyed approximately 230,000 houses and over 750,000 hectares of agricultural land. The initial cyclone Idai was followed by a second cyclone on April 24, resulting in further loss of life and substantial damage.
“I try to participate in IFRC or Canadian Red Cross disaster responses when called to do so,” said Freeman. “The electrical systems of the Nhamatanda Hospital needed to be rebuilt with the other systems that were refurbished, so I went to address the electrical service, distribution systems and backup generator.”
Freeman was away working on the relief efforts for a month between May and June of this year.
He was unable to attend the initial response immediately following the first cyclone. But when the second call for volunteers was paged out, he jumped to respond and signed up to work on the electrical refurbishment.
Freeman also trained local staff and volunteers on the use of technical systems involved in the mobile field hospital. The local hospital worked with local electricians to mentor them on the new systems, and trained the local Red Cross volunteers in the use of tents and equipment for emergency and disaster response.
Previous relief efforts Freeman has taken part in have included working in an Ebola virus treatment centre in Sierra Leonne, a capacity building and training mission in the Philippines, and in Nepal working on a field hospital operation and capacity building.
“No country or jurisdiction can handle huge scale disasters without the help of outside agencies, countries and NGO’s (non-governmental organization). We in Canada have been historically subject to high winds and flooding, and have potential for disaster in many parts,” said Freeman. “Populations here and around the world are living and doing business in areas that are subject to these occurrences, and disasters are resulting and help is being sent to assist on a regular basis.”
He added that the everyday technology, infrastructure, health systems, financial stability, safety and security enjoyed in Canada is often taken for granted and the “impact of a disaster will have a deeper, longer lasting impact on areas or countries made more vulnerable by not enjoying the same standards of living as we do.”
Because of that, Freeman said he believes it is important for people to volunteer in any way possible to help make the world a better place, whether that is by picking up litter, volunteering their time towards something they feel strongly about or by financial contributions to those efforts.
Great-nephew to local legend, conservationist and volunteer George Freeman, who died in November 2017, Freeman was taught by his great-uncle to “leave things better than you find them” and that “if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.”
He noted his uncle George set a great example for all the Freemans to do what they love and to make the world a better place.
“There is no too little or too much for us to do as an individual when it comes to making the world a better place, locally or globally,” said Freeman. “Each of us can make a difference.”