(File photo/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Elliott Knopp

Fire Department Funding

M.L. Fire Department receiving crucial upgrades and evaluations

Jan 27, 2022 | 6:23 PM

Major improvements to the Meadow Lake Fire Department have been authorized by Meadow Lake City Council.

During Mondays budget meeting, the city approved several expenses that will improve the resources available to the emergency service, evaluate the condition of the current facility and enhance the current workforce to meet the needs of the immediate community and surrounding service area.

One of the first items on the agenda to receive approval came in the form of an evaluation of the department’s strategy and return a report and recommendations to council.

Damage to the Fire Hall’s facility will undergo evaluation for repairs. (supplied image/City of Meadow Lake)

In a request filed to the city, fire chief Neil Marsh explained the capabilities of the fire department were in doubt. He cited the availability of current members, increased training requirements and calls for service as the key causes for concern.

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“In previous decades, being a firefighter entailed occasional, but manageable, disruptions to one’s work and personal life. The call volumes we have seen in the last few years are placing an obvious strain on firefighters and their families,” he stated.

“This exhaustion is causing some of our most experienced people, and some of our most promising recruits, to step away. Our expanding fire protection area further adds to the pressure. While the number of resulting additional calls has been relatively few, to date, the possibility for very large and demanding fires in these remote areas is real.”

Several items throughout the Fire Hall have been designated as areas that may need to undergo renovations. (Supplied image/City of Meadow Lake)

The request originally included an expansion of the current on-call roster, but the item was dependent on the approval of splitting Marsh’s fire chief/building official roles into two separate full-time positions. The request was denied by council.

An assessment of the fire hall will occur later this year to determine the condition of the facility and its structure. Depending on the result of the evaluation, the fire Hall could receive up to a maximum of $15,000 in renovations to improve the building.

Areas of concern highlighted in the request include the apron and curb, roof, equipment bay floor and classroom floor.

The fire hall’s classroom floor is said to be in need of maintenance, depending on further evaluation. (Supplied image/City of Meadow Lake)

The report is expected to include an update on the existing condition of the building, its remaining service life with and without repairs, a list of the necessary repairs and upgrades as well as a series of specifications for a replacement building if the repairs are deemed uneconomical.

Immediate upgrades include the purchase of a new Breathing Air Compressor & Cascade System to improve upon the current compressor, which is said to be functional, but undersized.

A new turnout gear extractor is set to be acquired by the Meadow Lake Fire Department to extend the life of service gear worn during calls. (Supplied image/City of Meadow Lake)

An air supply trailer has also received tentative approval, dependent on industry and regional partners covering half of the cost of the purchase.

Funding for a turnout gear extractor and shipping cans were also approved, rounding out the fire department’s requests to the city.

The turnout gear extractor is a device used to cleanse, sanitize and disinfect emergency gear work by firefighter during calls for service.

Shipping containers could be acquired later this year for the development of a local firefighter training facility. (Supplied image/City of Meadow Lake)

The machine is said to be crucial in expanding the service life of the equipment past its five-year period. The shipping containers will be utilized for training assignments and the development of training grounds for the fire department.

The total expected cost of the investments into the fire department are estimated between approximately $100,000 and $160,000, depending on the approval of the air supply trailer.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp