Firefighters from Mid and West Wales will be raising money for the Wales Air Ambulance by taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon in full firefighting kit.

Carwyn Thomas, Dewi Morgans and Tom Kerton from Aberystwyth Fire Station and Owain Evans from Carmarthen Fire Station will be undertaking the 13.1-mile course on Sunday 1 October 2023.

They will be running in full firefighting kit and carrying breathing apparatus sets, which weigh around 15kg each.

In preparation for the event, the team will be hosting a series of fundraising activities and have also set up a Just Giving donation page. Last month the team ran 11 miles in their full firefighting kit along the Aberystwyth Promenade to kickstart their fundraising campaign. They also walked up and down the seafront carrying collection buckets and managed to raise £300.

Carwyn Thomas said the team chose the Wales Air Ambulance because they have seen first-hand hand how crucial the service is to the people of Wales.

He said: “The Wales Air Ambulance Charity is a vital service to our communities.  As a Fire Service, we attend several serious incidents where it’s proven that the immediate care from the Ambulance Service and Wales Air Ambulance can help save lives at the roadside. 

“The outcome for these patients is far better after receiving immediate care from the doctors and advanced paramedics that fly with the Wales Air Ambulance, and we are extremely grateful for their support at every incident we have attended with them.”

As well as supporting the Wales Ambulance the team are also helping to raise funds for The Fire Fighters Charity, which offers information, advice and support to serving and retired members of the UK’s fire and rescue service community; and 2 Wish, a charity that provides support to anyone who has been affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young person.

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its four helicopters in the air and fleet of rapid response vehicles on the road.

The Charity offers advanced critical care that is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership between the Wales Air Ambulance Charity and the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru). 

As a result, the service is consultant-led and is known as a ‘flying emergency department’, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient. This includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident. 

All four firefighters will be sharing regular updates about their fundraising and training on Aberystwyth Fire Station Facebook page and you can support the team by donating to their JustGiving page, www.justgiving.com/team/TanFire