New tools and vehicles have come in for the Flin Flon Fire Department, meant to make the group more able to respond to dangerous and remote situations.
This year, the department has loaded up for new equipment, allowing the members to answer a wide range of calls including search and rescue and remote firefighting. The new gear includes a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle to be used for rescues and operations that require accessing remote areas, as well as an inflatable rescue boat and motor to be used for water rescue situations. The department also received a flat-deck trailer to haul the items, as well as a Snowbulance, a wheeled or tracked and enclosed rescue toboggan used specifically in case of a winter rescue. Back at the fire hall, the department also received a new heavy-duty washer and dryer to clean turnout gear.
Money for the new items came from the province and the Manitoba Fire Protection Grant, as well as support from the City of Flin Flon.
Flin Flon Fire Department chief Jason Kuras said Flin Flon being in such a remote area means emergency personnel need to be ready to help out at a moment’s notice for remote search and rescues. Having equipment ready to go immediately cuts down on response time and increases the chance of getting people home safely.
“This allows us to ensure we have the proper gear. Before, one of our members would donate their sled to be used. We always found a way to make the equipment available, but it wasn’t always readily available. This way, this equipment is serviced. We know it’s serviced because it's us doing it. It's readily available, because we know it's readily available and we have the training on it,” Kuras said.
“We want to be able to do rescues that occur in isolated areas. Part of the reason that we got that particular boat was it will deflate to a small size where we can get it down some of the trails and get to remote cabins where nobody else really can. We're looking at it as a future endeavor of being able to fully take care of everyone in this area.”
The department is also looking at another piece of equipment - a battery-operated set of Jaws of Life that can be used to extricate people from crashed vehicles or tight spaces. The department has a set of Jaws of Life, but only a hydraulic, less portable form that can’t be used far from fire trucks.
“A lot of what we're looking at doing is just improving our speed. The faster we can get to a person, the faster we can start to go in rescue operations, the better off somebody in those situations is going to be," said Kuras.
