2012 was an active year for emergency personnel as they responded to a number of incidents throughout the year. Among those responding were fire, EMS, police and bylaw enforcement members.
Here is a look back at some of the situations in 2012 that prompted the full measure of emergency response in 2012.
The Jesus is Alive fire: Perhaps no single incident shocked residents more than the spectacular fire at the historic Jesus Is Alive building on Railway Avenue and 104th Street.
Fire crews were on the scene well into the night battling the spectacular blaze, which lit up the city sky and could be seen for miles around the community.
Fortunately, no one was injured, but the building was a total loss and fire crews were forced to order the demolition of the property the following day. The rubble from the fire remained on the scene for a few weeks after and then city crews were ordered in to haul it away.
The Windstorm: Emergency crews were at it again in June when a powerful and violent summer lightning storm rumbled through the Battlefords.
Trees were blown over throughout the Battlefords and a massive effort got under way to clean it up. City and emergency crews worked tirelessly over several days to clean the debris off the streets, as well as off of roofs of damaged houses. Mayor Ian Hamilton told reporters the day after the storm that the estimated damage was in the millions.
The St. Walburg Tragedy: Outside the Battlefords but still in the Northwest area, St. Walburg was shocked in 2012 with the discovery of bodies of a man, woman and child in an area ditch in June.
The incident was treated by officials as a possible murder-suicide. The three deceased -Darren Wourms, 26, his wife Hayley, 23, and son Cayden, age 2 - were from Airdrie, Alta.
Other incidents in 2012 included:
A major fire in June destroyed a house on 93rd Street in North Battleford. The blaze again drew a major response from the fire and emergency crews across the city.
Tragedy struck the RCMP in July when the vehicle of Cst. Derek Pineo, 38, struck a moose near Wilkie. Pineo was killed in the collision and a regimental funeral was held in Nipawin.
The tragedy highlighted the serious issue of increased numbers of moose and other animals on Saskatchewan roads in 2012, as the province saw a heightened number of animal collisions on the roads causing serious injuries and death. There was discussion about ways to control the moose population to cut down on the amount of moose sightings on the province's roads this year.
In November, the emergency response of the entire city was tested at the airport as fire, EMS and police responded to a plane crash involving four passengers.
Fortunately, it was all a simulation mandated by Transport Canada. The four "victims" played their roles convincingly and the crews learned what issues they would have to deal with in a real emergency situation.
In December, a school bus carrying 12 children and two adults failed to navigate a bend in a road south of Battleford and landed in a field. While there were some injuries, luckily no one was seriously harmed.
Also in December, it was announced that Pat MacIsaac had resigned as fire chief in North Battleford after four years leading the force.
The search is now on for a new Chief. In the interim, deputy chiefs Brian Wilson and Kevin Steinborn are in charge of the fire department.
