Images: BA exams and a wreck

Tuesday, 15th December

Visit to headquarter, trying to accelerate immigration procedure, enjoying view from neighbor building’s roof

Wednesday, 16th December

Welding goes on for boat trailer

Thursday, 17th December

Taking part in the firefighting academy’s final breathing apparatus (BA) exams

Declining a repair request for Temeke fire vehicle due to lack of spare parts, search for steel still going on

Vainly trying to tailor a mobile phone sleeve from an old fire hose at Africraft

Friday, 18th December

Welding trailer parts, due to problematic electricity conditions explosion of an extension cable, work postponed

Staying at a beach resort in Kunduchi in the north of Dar Es Salaam together with friends from an NGO

Saturday, 19th December

Enjoying western breakfast at beach hotel

Exploring wreck off Kunduchi beach

Cycling to Kigamboni, staying near South Beach

Sunday, 20th December

Returning to Posta, attending advent mass at St. Joseph’s cathedral

Making christmas cookies at home

Breathing apparatus exams

Our equipment

Recruits being instructed by a supervisor

Recruit and officer handling air cylinder

Receiving help to adjust face mask

Masks on!

Samuel climbing training tower

Preparing to abseil

Recruits waiting in the shadow of workshop building

Fastening gear to descend

Wreck off Kunduchi beach

In the shallow water 300 meters from Kunduchi beach there is a freight vessel’s wreck. We swam the last 100 meters to the hull and boarded the ship through a ladder on the starboard side. The wreck had apparently sustained heavy damage from fire, the traces where still visible on the superstructures. Most of the rescue equipment was still in place, only the rescue boat was missing and one life raft box had burned down. The steel superstructures where deformed by the heat, in general moving on the wreck required close attention because of unstable sections, open hatches and glass shards. The superstructures were already partly dismantled, a great number of gas cylinders and defective work boots for welding showed regular activity of workers disassembling the wreck.