Mere minutes can mean life or death during an emergency.
And unlike large cities with full-time firefighters ready to roll out on a moment's notice, smaller communities like Sundre depend on dedicated volunteers to drop what they're doing whenever there's a call for help.
That means they must first make it to the fire hall before gearing up and dispatching an engine.
So to shave as many seconds as possible off of that response time, the Sundre Fire Department has invested in some green emergency flashing lights for its members' personal vehicles.
The green emergency lights, which strobe similarly to regular emergency lights, will only be used specifically for responding to the fire hall so members can get there as quickly and safely as possible, said fire Chief Marty Butts.
The lights were introduced towards the end of February, but the idea has been around for years, he said, adding some departments such as the one in Didsbury already employ the system.
"You see them throughout Canada," the fire chief said about the green lights.
"It's up to the department and the town to decide if that's something that they're willing to put into the community and support."
A bylaw was already in place, which facilitated the process to introduce the green emergency lights, which were purchased at about $50 a piece. The overall cost amounted to more than $1,500 for all 32 members, he said.
But it's worth it because every minute counts when firefighters are trying to respond to an emergency and people who need help will get it that much quicker, especially during the busy summer months, he said.
"If we can shave minutes off of our response times, the person who's having the worst day of their life is the one who's going to benefit."
There can even be better outcomes for structure fires ó the sooner firefighters arrive, the sooner they can get the situation under control. A few minutes could mean the difference between saving a building and being forced to let it burn while taking measures to protect surrounding properties, he said.
The green emergency lights do not give firefighters any "special powers" and responders are not supposed to speed or run through stop signs or red lights. Instead, the lights serve to provide residents with a visual cue to let them know a member of the fire department is trying to reach the fire hall to respond to an emergency. If it's safe to do so, pull over and let the volunteer firefighters by, he said.
"We've seen some positive reactions already," he said, adding members have already noticed a number of residents complying.
Signs informing motorists about the fire department's new green emergency lights have been installed at the different entrances to Sundre, and word has also been spread through social media, he said.
"It's kind of new to our community," the fire chief said, adding that if the lights work out well, the system will be kept in place.
There will be a period of adjustment for residents, but the fire chief is confident that people will get used to the new emergency lights.
He also underscored the importance of making sure people pull over cautiously if ever they should see the green emergency lights flashing from behind.
"Use good judgment ó pull over in a safe area," he said, adding the last thing anyone wants is to create more issues.
Butts plans to determine how much response times improve, namely by getting feedback from members, as they are ultimately in the position to point out whether the green lights helped them get to the hall quicker.
