Excelerate supports Deputy Chief Fire Officer as he faces the 'Ultimate Challenge'

01/01/2007

Avon Fire and Rescue’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Jerry O’Brien, is preparing to set off on a 500-mile trip across Gambia later this month (January) to take on the ‘Ultimate Challenge’ – part of a fundraising partnership established 15 years ago.

Jerry will be running, cycling and canoeing the length of The Gambia River during his gruelling 500-mile challenge which is expected to take around 10 days and is all in support of The Gambia Fire and Ambulance Service.

Excelerate Technology, the UK’s leaders in supplying Transportable Satellite Broadband VPN Solutions (TSBV), will be with him all the way as he visits fire stations, schools and clinics supported by the Gambia and Avon Fire Services in Partnership (GAFSIP) organisation.

Avon Fire and Rescue has been using Excelerate’s products for the past four years – with many of the advances and applications of the services supplied by the company having their roots in research and development alongside Avon.

For the ‘Ultimate Challenge’, Excelerate has provided a hand-held device which will allow Jerry to track his position, keep in touch with the UK, and update his daily diary and web-log via satellite.

Jerry O’Brien said: “Excelerate Technology has always been there to support us when we have been looking at any improvements in our communications infrastructure. The company has constantly delivered solutions, especially via secure broadband satellite links, so it makes perfect sense for Excelerate to support this challenge.
 
“At one end of the scale, Excelerate supplies solutions that keep our Incident Command Units in touch with HQ at all times, while at the other end of the scale I will have a similar system sitting in my back-pack to help give me peace of mind while I am, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere.”

GAFSIP provides vital training – together with equipment that Avon no longer uses – to help keep The Gambia Fire and Ambulance Service running. Each year GAFSIP sends shipments to The Gambia containing old firefighting equipment, such as fire kit and boots, old fire engines and rescue boats.

David Savage, Chairman and CEO for Cardiff-based Excelerate Technology said: “What Avon Fire and Rescue has achieved over the past 15 years of this partnership is fantastic and we give our full backing to Jerry.

“I am delighted that we have been able to supply Jerry with a small but crucial piece of equipment to allow him to keep us all updated of his progress.”

Jerry’s online diary can be viewed at www.avonfire.gov.uk/avon while donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/gafsip/donate.