The Estevan Fire and Rescue Service experienced another record-setting year in 2015.
According to fire Chief Dale Feser, the department received 243 calls for service, which included residential and commercial fire alarms, motor vehicle collisions, rescue calls and hazardous materials calls.
“It’s been a very challenging year, but nothing we can’t handle,” Feser told the Mercury. “It keeps us on our toes, and it dictates where we’re going to be focusing our training endeavours for the next year.”
The previous record of 236 calls was set in 2014.
The call volume translates to nearly five calls per week, or a call every 36 hours, which is a very busy schedule for a paid, on-call service. They also had 52 training sessions.
“Typically firefighters will be attending the fire hall for two hours, minimum, of training, once every two weeks,” said Feser.
But the firefighters will meet for specialized training if they need to brush up their skills, and there will also be training for new recruits.
The department participated in 12 public activities, too, which included public relations events such as the open house and visiting schools during Fire Prevention Week.
“When we take a look at it, and you tally all that up, basically the guys are doing something almost every day for the fire department and the citizens of Estevan,” said Feser.
The fire department expected they might experience a reduced schedule last year due to the sliding economy in the area, but that didn’t materialize.
Feser noted that from Nov. 1, 2014, to Oct. 31, 2015, the fire department had a 46 per cent increase in fire alarm calls; a 14 per cent hike for rescue-related calls for issues such as motor vehicle collisions, and swift and ice water rescue; a 12 per cent jump in hazardous materials response calls; a 17 per cent increase in fires; a six per cent jump in calls; and an overall 21 per cent increase in call volume, when compared with the 12-month stretch from Nov. 1, 2013 to Oct. 31, 2014.
Also, October and November of 2015 were particularly busy months for the department due to wildland fires, vehicle accidents, residential fires and structural fires. There was an apartment fire in October that resulted in the destruction of a building and the displacement of several people.
“Not only were the call volumes on the rise, but the severity index of those calls we were tending to was on the rise,” said Feser, who is in the process of tabulating a call severity index.
The fire chief believes the numbers reinforce the need for attracting and retaining firefighters. The fire department currently has 26 firefighters, plus Feser and administrator Rhonda Gillespie.
Recruitment and retention of firefighters is an issue facing fire departments in Estevan and across North America. But Feser also wants to have high-quality firefighters who will be committed for the long-term.
“They definitely have to be the right type of individual to do this type of job,” said Feser. “They have to be able to commit. There’s a lot of training that’s involved in getting to be part of the fire department. And that’s what we find, is that a lot of people don’t have that time to commit any longer.”
The department has changed its recruitment program, so now they have spring and fall recruiting intakes, instead of accepting new recruits at any time in the year. Successful recruits then take a 40-hour training course to give them the necessary skills.
Feser said the changes have already made a difference, because it helps them develop the necessary abilities, and it enables new firefighters to be more effective when they have to respond to a call.
