Turner on fire gear donation to Tampico, Mexico: 'This is a great example of what sister cities do'

The City of Houston and the Houston Fire Department (HPD) recently said that a sister city will receive more than $200,000 worth of firefighter equipment, per a report from Houston NBC affiliate KPRC. 

The station reported that Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña made the announcement centering on Tampico, Mexico, at HFD’s Val Jahnke Training Facility with their municipal counterparts from south of the border in attendance.

According to KPRC, HFD spent nearly a year collecting donations, with the items later shipped to the fire department in Tampico. 

“Thank you to [Houston] City Council for their support and @HoustonFire Chief Peña for your efforts to continue to make donations like this happen,” the Houston Mayor’s Office tweeted. 

Peña said the equipment will help better protect Tampico’s firefighters, or bomberos, when they’re responding to blazes, KPRC reported.

He tweeted that the donated equipment, which is a part of the sister city relationship between Texas’ largest city and Tampico, “included an assortment of bunker gear.” 

“Appreciate the partnership, @houmayor @AliciaKerber [and] @ConsulMexHou,” the fire chief added in the tweet. 

Houston Tampico Sister City Association founder Marco Bracamontes said the donations epitomize “citizen diplomacy and collaboration,” per KPRC.

Turner, who is in his final months as Houston’s highest officeholder, shared Bracamontes’ sentiments. 

“This is a great example of what sister cities do,” he said, KPRC reported. 

Mexican diplomat Alicia Kerber Palma tweeted that the consulate general of Mexico outpost in Houston will continue to promote the relationship between the cities. 

According to Houston’s governmental website, it partnered with Tampico in 2003.