A local insurance company is providing Saskatchewan’s small-town emergency response organizations with a unique way of earning some funding.
My Mutual Insurance, based out of Waldheim, has launched The Responders First contest as a way to celebrate first responders from across the province.
A variety of organizations are on the list with members of the public casting votes for which two organizations will get one of two $24,000 grants.
Five local communities are involved in the contest; Annaheim First Responders, Bruno First Responders, Lanigan Fire Department, Naicam Fire and Rescue, and Watson Fire Department.
Watson Fire Department is looking to replace their cube-van that they use to haul people and equipment, said Fire Chief Glenn Thayck. Just like most small-town departments, the 20 crew fire department has both equipment and personnel needs that are difficult to fund. This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone on the list, he said.
“It's just a fantastic opportunity that an insurer in the province is providing the possibility of giving back to some of the communities.”
Winning the contest would be a huge win for the Annaheim First Responders, said team lead Stacy Church. The three-person team responds to about 10 to 12 calls a year and would be able to use the funds for jackets and recruiting more members to the team. While it is a small team that covers a large area, they are never lacking in community support, Church said.
“We have awesome community support and we have an awesome team. We work very well together and, let's just get the votes out there and go for a win.”
Naicam Fire Chief Trevor Seykora said Naicam Fire and Rescue has been without a big fundraiser for a number of years but the Town of Naicam has always been supportive of them in the past. Winning this contest would take some pressure off the department’s major donors and would allow them to replace their ageing rescue truck which is too small for their equipment needs.
The 20 person crew responds to around 30 calls a year, half of which are motor vehicle collisions, Seykora said, so a well-equipped rescue vehicle is a must for the department.
Bruno First Responder group lead Andrea Lapage said three of their seven members have over 30 years of experience between them and one has been with the organization for over 40 years. While this experience is great to have on the team, they are looking to recruit more members to the organization, as well as replace some ageing equipment.
A contest win and the $24,000 would be fantastic, she said.
The department responds to around 35 calls a year which is not a lot, Lepage said, but covering portions of Highway 5 and Highway 2 means they respond to high severity accidents, including water rescues. In a normal year, they also have a lot of events that draw tourists to Bruno which can mean responding to those events as well, she said.
Lanigan Fire Department is always looking for funds to replace their rescue equipment, said Fire Chief Barry Hooper. Calls for the department can vary from 30 to 40 a year, including two major events in the last year as they responded to the train derailments outside of Guernsey in December 2019 and February 2020.
Everybody is always looking for money, Hooper said, so with such an extensive list of organizations to vote for, there is no shortage of worthwhile participants who will benefit from the prize money.
Voting is currently suspended due to technical difficulties but there is more information at mymutualinsurance.ca/responders-first-contest.
