FIVE local firefighters have helped bring former Yugoslavias own fire service into the 21st century.

Kevin Barrow and Stephen Jordan, who both live in Prestwich, Bury-based fireman Mark Cox, Gary Eden, a firefighter at Broughton and Rochdale man John Maughan travelled to Podgorica, where they joined colleagues from Lancashire, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire in helping to upgrade the skills of 55 personnel working for the republic's fire service.

The training had been organised as part of Operation Florian, a charitable organisation set up by a Ministry Of Defence firefighter Steven Owen-Hughes, which aims is to provide the fire services of the republics of the former Yugoslavia with modern equipment and the skills to use them.

Sleeping and working at the central fire station in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, the instructors passed on skills in general firefighting plus specialist training in the use of breathing apparatus and advanced first-aid.

The majority of the trainees already had some basic firefighting experience but the course was designed to train them to an internationally approved standard. This was the first of three courses, with the intention that the best candidates from the initial courses will become instructors making the republic self sufficient in training its firefighters.

Station Officer Mark Cox, who works within the East Command Fire Safety Department based at Bury Fire Station, said: "I think I can speak for all the team when I say we found it extremely physically and mentally tough working in the conditions we found in Podgorica, but that was more than outweighed by the immense personal satisfaction we took from helping the people of Montenegro."

The Greater Manchester firefighters were granted permission to take part in the operation by County Fire Officer Barry Dixon and also used some of their own leave allocation to take part.