After assembling a comprehensive fire plan for the areas in and around Water Valley, county officials say there are already plans underway to cover off other vulnerable areas of the county.
Ryan Morrison, director of emergency management for Mountain View County, said county council thought it pertinent to create such plans, following significant fires elsewhere in the province in recent years.
"Like the wildfire in Nordegg and the one in Slave Lake. We just thought that it would be a good prevention tool to put one together for the Water Valley area,î said Morrison.
That area has been identified as a risk area for wildfires due to the urban interface and surrounding terrain, he noted.
It details procedures and tactics for dealing with any future fires, and also makes note of key buildings and infrastructure that may require special attention should an emergency arise.
It also contains information of proper actions to be taken for each particular area, and even tells emergency crews what kind of trees are in the area ñ a factor in fire growth and speed, noted Morrison.
"It also identifies properties that are most at risk, like say Camp Kindle where the kids' cancer camp is. It identified some of those for high priority areas for evacuation.î
There's also staging areas listed, fire department information, radio frequencies, and the equipment available in the area, he added.
"It puts Cremona Fire, Water Valley Fire, and the ESRD all using the exact same plan, because the provincial forest protection area kind of goes right through the middle of the Water Valley area.
"So there's two fire departments essentially responding to that areaÖthey're both coordinating via the same plan, looking at the same plan, talking the same documents, and also helps us get them all to work together.î
The plan cost $15,000, jointly paid for by both the county and a grant from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD), he noted.
Besides the plan, members and officials from Mountain View County, the Cremona Fire Department, the ESRD, Cremona FCSS, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, and Alberta Health Services performed a joint exercise with the plan, costing an additional $15,000.
He noted the total cost to the county was only $15,000 between the plan and exercise.
"(And) the exercises paid dividends already, because they've already been communicating better than they were before.î
He noted they don't always work together, and this gave them a rare opportunity to do so.
"And that way, both the county, Cremona Fire and the ESRD are communicating on the same levels. We know all the players now, so if anything did happen ñ God forbid ñ we would be prepared for it.î
As far as creating similar plans in the future, he said county councillors have their eyes on the West Country, another county area susceptible to wildfires.
County council has asked county administrators to bring back cost quotes for that plan, and they will likely include the costs in the 2015 budget, he said.
"I think it's very proactive that they're willing to put county resources together to try and do more pre-fire planning for the West Country. It's very proactive.î
If county residents in other areas want to get proactive on their own, he said they can look into the FireSmart program, brochures for which are available at the Mountain View County office on Highway 2A.
The program can point people in the right direction as far as getting prepared and minimizing fire risk on their property, he noted.
