Industrial fire dept. proposed
Industrial fire dept. proposed
28 February 2006
published by www.redwatertribune.com
Alberta, Canada — We want to be ready for any growth, Bart Clark, manager of Emergency Services, told a group of listeners at last Mondays stakeholdermeeting.
Clark recommended the creation of an industrial fire department within Sturgeon Countys portion of Albertas Industrial Heartland, which would specialize in spills, ruptures and railcarderailments.
The proposed industrial fire department may have to be full-time because of the type of industry coming into SturgeonCounty.
As well, Clark suggested a facility for additional training for police, fire, emergency medical services and disastertraining.
If a nation-wide training centre were built here, we could keep higher-trained peoplehere.
Along with the training centre, Clark sees room for a major water reservoir for major industry, community meeting rooms, air shed monitoring trailer storage/deployment, as well as a wildland fire spottingtower.
The idea is still in the development stage, and Clark is waiting for feedback from the public before deciding on what should bedone.
We received strong support (at the meetings).
Clark asked those in attendance at all five meetings to think about what should happen in the Heartland regardingsafety.
We are thinking outside the box, Clark said. This is our chance today to listen toyou.
In 2005, all five municipal fire departments as well as the two county departments took numerous trainingcourses.
Last year we trained for 99,100 hours, which is unheard of in the province, he said. Our people, 200 firefighters, received the highest level of trainingpossible.
Clark said the proposed department would work with the Redwater and Gibbons volunteer fire departments, which are trained in structure and wildfire fighting and vehicularaccidents.
This is a partnership I envisioned, Clark said. The local departments have skills in what they are trainedfor.
The industrial department would specialize accidents such as in industrial accidents, spills, and gasdetection.
The industrial department would also need specialized equipment, such as an arial/ladder truck with an elevated nozzle, and an industrial pumper, which would use a combination of foam and water, as well as a hazardous materials truck, which would be outfitted with chemical suits and patchkits.
