Firefighting is truly a brotherhood.

It doesn’t matter if you belong to a small volunteer fire company in Lansford, a fire department in Hazleton or a department in the Dominican Republic, you are welcomed with open arms.

Just ask fire Chief Joseph Greco and pump operator Mark Kosica.

The two Lansford volunteer firefighters will be joining Hazleton Southside Fire Department deputy fire Chief Brian Mandak and a group of seven other fire officials later this month to visit fire departments in the Dominican Republic that are learning how to use fire equipment to protect the approximately 65,000 residents in the San Jose de Ocoa province.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to assist them in training the people there,” Greco said. “The language barrier will be tough, but it’s going to be neat to see how they do things in other parts of the world.”

“It’s going to be a unique experience,” Kosica said, adding that when you teach someone the skills of firefighting and see them use that training during emergency situations, it is rewarding.

Greco, Kosica and Mandak will travel to San Jose de Ocoa with officials from Hazleton, Kingston, Pittston and the state fire academy on Jan. 18 and will work to train dozens of firefighters who received donations of hose, turnout gear and even fire engines from the area over the past several years.

The bond between San Jose de Ocoa and Hazleton started in 2011 when Jose Melo, a Hazleton volunteer firefighter and native of the Dominican Republic, approached Mandak and told him about the city’s need for a firetruck.

“They didn’t have a working fire engine,” Mandak said. “They had nothing. No gear. No hose.”

Mandak took it upon himself to get the ball rolling, and with the help of donations by the San Jose de Ocoa residents of Hazleton, purchased an engine from New York and sent it overseas.

“That’s how it started,” Mandak said.

At that time, four San Jose de Ocoa firefighters came to Hazleton and ran with Mandak’s department while they trained at Luzerne County Community College and learned how to use the truck that was being sent to the Dominican Republic.

The following year, Mandak was asked to come to San Jose de Ocoa to train other firefighters on how to use the equipment.

He graciously accepted and traveled to the depressed city and trained dozens of men and women on firefighting techniques.

“They enjoyed it and learned a lot,” he said. “When I left, I felt very confident that they were prepared.”

Since then, Mandak has made it his mission to gather firefighting equipment, turnout gear, hose and even three more firetrucks from any fire department or institution willing to share and send it all over to San Jose de Ocoa.

“They never had equipment,” he said, adding that most of the equipment that has been donated by various fire departments throughout the region was still in very good condition but was outdated due to National Fire Protection Association standards and couldn’t be used by the departments for firefighting purposes anymore.

“Now it has a second life in San Jose de Ocoa,” he said.

Mandak brought Greco and Kosica into his mission after a pumps class at the Lansford Fire Department.

“They had some old equipment there and I asked if I could have it,” Mandak said. “They thought I was crazy, so I pulled out my pictures and they said, ‘we’re on board, what else do you need?’ ”

Mandak needed hose, and Lansford just happened to have hose that was not being used and said he could have it to send to San Jose de Ocoa.

Mandak also told the two about his upcoming trip to the province. They asked him what flight he was taking and two hours later, were booked for the flight as well.

“I thought they were joking,” Mandak said.

The group will train firefighters at three departments — San Jose de Ocoa, Rancho Arriba and Sabana Larga — while down in the Dominican Republic over the seven-day period.

“Thank you,” Melo said, holding back tears, of the upcoming trip. “I can’t pay them, but I am so glad they are helping my country.”

“We’re definitely looking forward to the experience,” Greco said.