Community support continues to be a huge factor in the growth of a rural municipalities new fire department. The R.M. of North Battleford has received a $75,000 donation from Richardson Pioneer for construction of a new fire hall.
“All of us are incredibly thankful, and truly blessed to know that a company like James Richardson International-Pioneer Grain is behind us 100 per cent as well as the rest of our large ratepayers in our R.M,” says Fire Chief Neil Good.
Everything the department needs will be easily accessible at the new fire hall which will house the fire truck, wildland fire truck, rescue vehicle and water tanker. The new facility will also include a training center and offices for staff. Good says planning for the new hall started when the department began operations on April 1 this year.
“We’re going to present the [fire hall plans] to city council on July 10th and ask for acceptance to build this here fire hall at that time.”
Saskatchewan’s newest volunteer fire department currently has 17 men and 1 woman trained in the case of an emergency. Good hopes for construction to begin next month after the municipality gets the green light from the council.
” I am working on some high-level training, for the near future, for our gentleman and lady. I am glad that is moving forward for us to have us even more trained than some of us are.”
To date, the department has responded to 5 wildland fires and 2 motor vehicle accidents, 1 in which required the department to deploy
extrication tools to remove victims of an accident.