Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Fowlerville Fire Chief Bob Feig is fresh off another trip to Mexico, where several Southeast Michigan departments for years, have been donating surplus or used equipment to fellow firefighters in Bomberos Empalme.

"We take our bunker coats, bunker pants. That's the outfit you see firefighters in when you see them in a picture fighting a fire," Feig told WHMI News.

"We've taken air packs, extracation equipment over the years. We've supplied them with a couple of older fire trucks that are still in use down there right now."

Chief Feig also has convinced a couple manufacturers of fire equipment to send down items considered too old or worn out by u-s standards, but still better than what the local department in mexico has.

"They've been quite generous over the last couple years with donating stuff that is worn out by the United States standard. One of our extracation partners here, he was able to dig up an old set of extracation equipment recently, that's better than anything they had down there."

Feig says the annual runs to Bomberos Empalme have been going on each year since 2013. Retired fire captain John Waters and the Rotary's Douglas Bournie escorted Feig this year.

"They are a very thankful people. They're proud to wear the equipment we give them," he says. "They don't change any of the name plates on any of the bunker gear, like if there's a name on the back of a coat or department, that remains on there."

Photos courtesy of Fowlerville Fire Department.