Choiceland Fire happy to upgrade training for members

SGI announced today that they would be allocating $5.6 million to help volunteer fire departments train and buy new equipment.

“Advancements in vehicle technology have led to new materials and designs in modern automobiles,” Minister Responsible for SGI Don Morgan said. “Volunteer firefighters are often the first to respond to collisions on highways and rural roads, and it is essential that volunteer fire departments are kept up-to-date with evolving tool developments and adaptations around new car designs.”

Saskatchewan has almost 300 volunteer firefighting agencies that are thinly spread over a large geographical area.

The money is targeted at gaps between fire departments who may be lacking in an area, said Doug Lapchuk, president of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Firefighters Association (SVFFA).

“A lot of times there maybe isn’t extrication tools or equipment or trained members to be able to come and assist someone in a time of need,” he said.

The provincial agency stepped in to reduce the gap in a bid to give occupants in a crash a better chance at being removed safely.

“What this is designed to do is to increase the training and availability of equipment to make our roads safer overall,” said Lapchuk.

Lapchuk is also chief of the Balgonie Fire Department where he estimates that one-third of their calls are motor vehicle collision related.

“The fire service is changing in that we don’t just go put the wet stuff on the red stuff anymore,” said Lapchuk. “We do all hazard mitigation, and our calls are increasing to motor vehicle collisions.”

With the move to hybrid and solely electric vehicles comes different considerations as fire fighters determine the hazards of combustible fuels or being electrocuted.

“Dealing with the batteries is a different science than dealing with the feeder lines,” Lapchuk said.

SGI has been good in providing departments with electric and hybrid vehicles to practice extrication methods on, he added.

One thing all fire departments have in common is the need to constantly train members. Faul said that his department of 23 members is fairly young, which means building skills along with maintaining the skills of more senior members.

Like other departments in small communities, Choiceland Fire relies a lot on community support in the form of donations and fundraisers to help keep itself going.

“All of our fundraising goes to either equipment or training exercises,” Faul said.

Having some of the training provided elsewhere gives small fire departments some relief and allows them to put hard earned money to other priorities.

The fund will be managed and distributed by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), who will consult with SGI, the Provincial Standards Training Committee, fire service stakeholders and other Government of Saskatchewan ministries during development to create a first of its kind program.

The SPSA will work with the SVFFA, the Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs and other stakeholders to develop auto extrication training standards and establish a fair and equitable process for purchasing tools and equipment.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Susan McNeil

Choiceland Fire happy to upgrade training for members

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