About Us
We deliver quality firefighting/EMS equipment and training to developing emergency response agencies world-wide.
Worldwide Emergency Equipment & Knowledge reaches out to as many departments around the world that are in need of equipment and training so they can perform their life saving roll in a safe and professional manner. We aim to touch the lives of firefighters and their communities.
Our Story
"It all started with a helmet."
I placed my out of service fire helmet for sale on EBAY, and a
a gentleman from Paraguay purchased the helmet. That gentlemen then started to
get more information about who I was and if I was in the fire service. During one
of our conversations, he proceeded to ask if I could ever go to his country to teach
classes. In March of 2020, myself and three other firefighters traveled to
Presidente Franco, Paraguay with 200 lbs. of firefighting equipment to donate. We quickly realized that there was an urgent need for all types of emergency equipment throughout that region. While in Paraguay, we were able to teach 7 different firefighting classes including: ICS, rope rescue, hose advancement, pump operations, RIT,
vehicle extrication and basic firefighting. These classes were taught to firefighters
from Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, a tri-country training.
Fire Departments are currently suffering with economic needs.
In the United States, firefighting gear has a regulated span of only 10 years; before it’s decommissioned and destroyed; while in these third-world countries, emergency responders are risking their lives using thirty to forty-year-old gear and equipment.
With help, and donations, firefighters around the world and their communities will be safer with the help of Worldwide Emergency Equipment & Knowledge. We would like to think that we are giving emergency equipment a second life.
Meet the Team
Co-founder
Ivan Hernandez
Ivan is currently the Fire Chief in the city of Windcrest in Texas, with 29 years of experience as a Firefighter and Paramedic. He also teaches at the San Antonio College Regional Fire Academy part time. Ivan studied Sociology at the University of Texas in Austin, he has an Associates Fire Science degree from San Antonio College, a bachelor degree in Homeland Security from Texas A&M San Antonio, and became certified with the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio for Paramedicine. His passion is to assist his brothers and sisters in the fire community all around the world, whether if its equipment or training. He led a group, in March 2020, to Paraguay to take down 200 pounds of firefighting equipment and taught seven classes to firefighters from Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. His belief is that equipment that can no longer be used in the United States, can absolutely be used in third world countries. He is passionate about helping those in need.
Co-founder
Tom Grose
Tom is currently the captain in the city of Shavano Park and is originally from the Detroit Michigan region. While in the marines, Tom was primarily stationed in the Charleston South Carolina area, where he met his wife while she was serving in the navy. They have been married for over 30 years and have made San Antonio their home since leaving the military life. They now have two grown sons–Benjamin is a paramedic in San Antonio and Cameron is in investment planning in Austin. Tom has been in the fire service since 1996 where he started as a volunteer and that's where he met his friend and co-founder, Ivan. He became a paid firefighter in 1999 and obtained his paramedic certification in 2001. He is passionate about taking our equipment that has passed its lifecycle here in the US and getting it into the hands of those who can still use it. "What seems like unusable to us has so much value to those who have so little. So with a little effort on our part we can get it to those who need it."
