OLDS — Three members of the Olds RCMP detachment are currently assisting with the wildfires burning in the province, Olds RCMP commanding officer Staff Sgt. Warren Wright says.
“We have sent three Olds RCMP members to assist with the wildfires in the province. There will be no changes during their deployment in the service delivery to the community,” Wright wrote in an email.
Olds RCMP Sgt. Greg Beach gave more details during an interview with the Albertan May 10.
Beach said at the request of the provincial government, the three were deployed to the Drayton Valley area starting May 6 to help secure the fire scenes as well as patrol properties to prevent things like break-ins and looting.
He said the officers are deployed there for about a week, including a day to travel there and a day to travel back to Olds.
Beach said policing in Olds and area has not been affected by the deployment of the three because other officers have stepped up to fill in on their days off.
That’s made for some challenging scheduling, Beach indicated.
“It's almost like a circus, keeping the balls in the air and the members are graciously willing to be flexible and wanting to help out, which makes all the difference in these events,” he said.
Beach said other Olds RCMP officers may be deployed to fire-ravaged areas, depending on the wildfire situation.
“We’ve had a lot of rain in our area, but again, if you don’t have the rain in the wildfire area, they can still remain out of control,” Beach said.
“So it’ll depend on the status of the fire with what resourcing the province is requesting from the RCMP.”
Beach said the Olds RCMP detachment can absorb the impact of deployments better than some detachments because it is larger than they are.
He said the Olds RCMP detachment currently has about 15 members, including constables and senior officers.
