As of October 4, 2021, the Martensville Fire Department (MFD) has responded to a total of 373 calls this year. Out of these calls, 241 have been for EMS related situations such as heart attacks, chest pain, difficulty breathing, COVID, etc., with the rest being for fires, motor vehicle accidents, and public assistance. “These numbers have already surpassed last year, and if we keep going the way that we are, we are looking at exceeding 400. This is definitely one of our busiest years,” MFD Deputy Fire Chief Dean Brooman said.
What this means for the MFD is a little more commitment from members when it comes to being available to respond to calls. “You could say that it is working us harder and we are out and about more, but that is what we are here to do,” Brooman added.
The MFD currently consists of 34 members in total; however, applications for new members have just been accepted with the interview process taking place in the near future. Successful applicants will be going through physical testing, criminal record checks and more before being accepted. Once accepted, members will be on probation for a year.
When it comes to responding to calls, the MFD is split into five companies during the week that are sorted from A to E. Each company is given a week where they are on shift from 10pm to 6pm on weeknights, so if a call comes in, that company responds. If a major call comes in such as a fire or a collision, it is all hands on deck. For weekends, there is a standby where members commit to a weekend where they can be around to answer calls so there is always a crew available from Friday night to Sunday night. During the day or evenings, it is once again all hands on deck and if a member is available, they respond. “With this system in place, we aren’t burning the same people out over and over and it keeps the skill level consistent in other members,” Brooman explained.
In the past year and a half, things have changed a little as extra precautions are required due to COVID, right from the initial dispatch where, if a patient is known to be COVID positive, the MFD is notified. Extra safety measures when it comes to masking, eye protection, gowns and sanitization have also been implemented as required. In recent weeks, Brooman noted that there has been an increase in COVID related calls.
Training is a top priority within the MFD, with opportunities being offered to members regularly. This past year, several members participated in heavy rescue training for motor vehicle accidents involving larger vehicles such as semis. With this training, they also purchased some heavy rescue equipment that will assist in them stabilizing heavier vehicles involved in an accident. Additional training to help combat grass fires using fire also took place recently. “These training courses aren’t always things that we will be using all of the time, but it is always good to have another tool in the toolbox that we can pull out when we have to fight certain fires that pop up.”
This year also saw the addition of a new high pressure firefighting skid unit that provides them with a powerful addition to use for grass fires, car fires and structure fires. “It gives us a rapid response to use to help knockdown fires quicker and penetrate into certain areas easier. We have used it on a few grass fires and have been very impressed so far,” Brooman said.
Community support is a big part of how the MFD can stay up to date with training and equipment. “We are so appreciative of all of the support that we get from the community, right from Council to the community itself, who have always supported this department.”
Martensville is lucky to have this incredible group of dedicated individuals that drop everything to respond when there is an emergency. They leave their families during meals and important events to make sure your family is safe. They give up on sleep to ensure they respond as quick as possible when a call comes in. They are the difference between life and death in your worst moments and there is not enough words to thank them for all they do in the community.
“We are very fortunate to have the dedicated members that we do. It is all about making sure we protect the folks within the community that we are here to protect. Our members work their regular jobs all day and then come and give a Wednesday night every week, take extra training as they can on weekends, and respond to all of the calls. Their dedication to the community is outstanding,” Brooman said.
