Help us to help Ukrainian First Responders in a war zone!

From Nikopol --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnGcCyvTFeU

Right now Jonathan is traveling back there with the load of life saving rescue and medical equipment! And we need YOUR help to make it possible for these heroic man to continue saving the lives!

Nikopol, in southern Ukraine, is located across the Dnieper river from Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, it has been in an active war zone since July 27th and has been continually shelled for another 3 months prior to that.. .

You can see the Nuclear Power Plant directly across the Bay. It is there Russian Army located Grad Rocket Launchers and Although they fire a variety of ordinances, most strikes are Grads, the Russian word for hail. Notoriously imprecise, Russians at the power plant point the volley of these ten-foot rockets in the general direction of the highest concentration of homes…

First few months it was through the nights, now it is round clock…Strikes can happen at any time, they are violent and unpredictable. Large parts of Nikopol dont have electricity.

Sirens are not used in Nikopol and Marghanets, there is not enough time for warning. The sounds of firing can be heard across the bay, and it gives a minute or less before the rockets land and hit houses and apartment buildings, shops and hospitals. First Responders do not wait for calls – many people not able to call because of spotty cell connection due to ruined infrastructure – they go on patrol in full gear the moment they hear sounds of firing rocket launchers. They know that they will be busy rescuing people from under the rabble, saving the lives of severely wounded and retrieving the deceased, it is happening every day without fail, because Russians send dozens of rockets daily, some days up to 60, aiming at heavily populated areas.

Jonathan patrols the pitch dark streets together with the team, a few times they have to run for cover because of rockets landing right next to them, all those times they need to push the car to start again, as it is 30 + years old Soviet era private Moskvytch car of one of the First Responders on the team, the only vehicle available to use for this part of the team. After a while they leave it behind and hurry up in full gear and with all tools in hand to the next site of rocket attack. Speed matters, and getting there on feet is faster then trying to start the vehicle again.

These heroic man work uncounted overtime hours just because there is no one else. They are like a small tight knit family of brothers. Nearly 40% of towns are already evacuated, many who stayed have no place to go, or are elderly and disabled, there are lots of children still there. They also help with emergencies during evacuations. They need their help! They deal with life threatening trauma every day, but due to severe supply shortages, they dont even have Individual First Aid Kits on hand for the team members, what they had they used for the people they have been saving every day, other supplies never reached them. They are First Responders in the war zone, just 4 km from the front lines and target to attacks that designed to hurt as many people as possible.

There also a small team of volunteers working there helping to evacuate families with small children. (We are also trying to get some help to them)

We are working on putting together firefighting and search and rescue equipment that is needed specifically for their situation, and will need help with expenses that it will involve in travel, transportation and logistics.

Even before we will get those things ready, we need to get IFAKs (Individual First Aid Kits) to the First Responders that are daily on duty and a volunteer team that does daily evacuations.

We also secured a way to get a safe, reliable vehicle in working condition for the First Responders patrolling the area and responding to the calls under shelling, it will be armored to provide at least some protection to them when they drive. We will be able to get it as soon as we get the funding for it! If we will get enough funding, we will be able to get two of those vehicles from Poland all the way to Nikopol and Marghanets. But even one would make a huge difference.

We have special requests and letters that authorize us to work on these requests from the Regional and City State Emergency Services of Ukraine. We need your help to make it happen, to help these heroes to continue saving the lives of people they serve under these incredible conditions and to protect their lives as well through Individual Medical Kits, Reliable Vehicle and Tools they need to do the Job!

We will be providing the reports of everything delivered personally all the way to Nikopol and Marganets! And we are in daily contact with First Responders on the ground there, receiving daily updates on the situation and the most urgent needs.

Jonathan Brook is an international videographer and photographer focusing on humanitarian efforts.

From the first days of the war, Jonathan and his family dedicated all their time to providing aid and hands-on support to those, saving the lives of people in Ukraine:
Volunteers, evacuating civilians from the most dangerous areas and delivering life-saving medical kits and supplies all across the country; and First Responders - firefighters, paramedics and de-mining teams working with State Emergency Services of Ukraine and Mobile Response Teams of the Ministry of Interior.

These Ukrainian Heroes need support doing their work, saving the lives, some under continual shelling.

Jonathan helps with documenting their work, identifying immediate needs and sourcing the supplies these teams need, connecting them with the international groups able to help and, when possible, acquiring and delivering supplies himself.

We need your help with specific needs we will be listing in our updates as Jonathan and his helpers work with First Responders Teams and Volunteers across Ukraine and operational expenses when on the ground.