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Clackamas Fire Lieutenant To Lead Global Charity Agency

Pat DeLair has volunteered for nonprofit Global Mission Readiness for eight years

Besides being a lieutenant with Clackamas Fire, Pat DeLair also has volunteered for the nonprofit Global Mission Readiness for eight years. GMR is a charitable organization that was founded by a group of Clackamas firefighters dedicated to providing emergency services education, training and resources to developing nations, and to promote disaster prevention and self-reliance. To date, GMR has trained thousands of first responders in the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, Central Europe and Southeast Asia.

Over the past year, the current GMR CEO Don Davis has been training DeLair to lead the next chapter of the nine-year-old organization. DeLair, a 10-year veteran of Clackamas Fire, currently serves as the vice president and operations director with the GMR Board of Directors. Davis plans to retire in late 2018 as a captain for Clackamas Fire and will pass the GMR reins to DeLair at the end of 2017.
“I would have never dreamed we’d be on our 54th project, having trained over 2,000 emergency responders in 13 countries,” Davis said. “These people are now teaching others the curriculum we have shared during this journey.”

DeLair is active in his community and serves on the Clackamas Firefighters Pipes & Drums Honor Band. He has been instrumental in fostering a number of GMR training projects in South America, including a fire academy in June for Cusco, Peru.

GMR was founded on the premise that many countries are grossly underfunded and lack basic government support for emergency services. GMR brings education to those in need by providing multiple courses in first aid, fire service training, specialty rescue, disaster preparedness and law enforcement. The emphasis is on self-reliance, so that disaster relief will someday be unnecessary.

GMR has over 100 volunteers from Oregon, Washington and California representing firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, nurses, doctors and law enforcement officers who donate their time and raise funds to travel and train others.

With no paid employees, GMR relies solely on donations, grants and fundraisers to support its projects abroad. Even as GMR’s CEO, DeLair will have to keep his job with Clackamas Fire and volunteer to serve GMR during his time off.

DeLair has led teams of volunteers to Bolivia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and coming up in January — Ghana, Africa. One of DeLair’s goals with GMR is to reach out to other agencies and first responders while in a country teaching and training. He says this will not only promote GMR’s mission, but also allow GMR to grow and reach more communities in a positive way. DeLair is proud of what GMR has done and looking forward to the future.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to directly contribute to GMR’s present and future,” DeLair said. “As a seasoned GMR traveler, I hope to help the experienced and inexperienced volunteers take a more active role in changing people’s lives by achieving GMR’s mission worldwide.”
To learn more about GMR, to donate or to get involved, you can visit www.globalmissionreadiness.org or email DeLair at [email protected].

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