OLDS — The Olds Fire Department (OFD) received a request from Alberta Emergency Management last week to send fire equipment to Hay River, Northwest Territories for use in battling wildfires.
However, after consulting with other fire chiefs in the Mountain View County region, the decision was made not to send equipment up there, Olds Fire Department Chief and director of Protective Services Justin Andrew said during an interview with the Albertan.
He said with harvest just around the corner in a very dry season, the concern was that equipment might be needed if wildfires should break out here.
"We actually were requested yesterday (Aug. 23) from Alberta Emergency Management Agency to see if we were able to provide a tactical tender, which is basically our water truck that we would take to rural applications,” Andrew said.
He said officials in Hay River were asking municipalities to send fire apparatus and a bit of manpower to be deployed to their community for a couple of weeks.
Andrew noted that the OFD works in conjunction with other fire departments in the urban centres of the Mountain View County region.
They back each other up, so if OFD equipment had been sent up there, another department would backfill equipment in Olds.
“We decided that we didn't have the resource available to send for that period of time,” Andrew said.
“Because the concern that we have right now is that we are right on the cusp of harvest starting and that is typically a busier time for us with fire, especially if the conditions get dry.
"And so we felt that right now we would be OK, that we could send a truck, but only for a period of a few days before we would start to look at (that) being detrimental to our security and safety of the citizens.
“And so we opted not to provide the resource at this time.”
Another factor was the distance involved.
"It's 1,250 kilometres from here to Hay River. And so to drive a truck that goes maximum speed of 90 kilometres an hour, that's a long drive up there," Andrew said.
"So logistically it's a tough one (when) they ask for a resource today. They may not get it for another couple of days and a lot of things happen and change in that period.”
However, the decision could be reversed if necessary, Andrew noted.
“It doesn't mean that if the situation changes that we wouldn't reconsider,” he said, “or they might have a different ask and a different resource might be able to be provided.”
Andrew said the decision to turn down the request was a really difficult one for area fire departments to make, because first and foremost, they’re firefighters.
"It pulls on our heartstrings because we understand what they're facing,” he said. “That's ultimately what firefighters do, is they help people that need help.
“And it doesn't matter if it's in your town or your county, your region, your province, your country. If you get requested, if it's feasible, then you do it.
“But we do have an obligation to maintain the service that we provide here.”
He noted that last May and June, local firefighters did answer a similar call.
Firefighters and equipment went up north to fight wildfires in the Drayton Valley, Peace River and Rainbow Lake areas. In the case of Rainbow Lake, that’s a distance of roughly 1,100 kilometres.
“They drove for 12 hours to get up there and they were sleeping on the floor of a community centre for over a week, on just very thin mats and cheap sleeping bags,” Andrew said.
"So, you know, we absolutely get pulled, (but) our first and foremost priority is the citizens of Olds and Mountain View County.”
Olds RCMP commanding officer Staff Sgt. Warren Wright says currently there are “no plans to deploy local RCMP resources out of province.”
