By Clark Stork

Melfort Fire Department expanding skills, equipment

Dec 1, 2017 | 1:11 AM

Melfort’s fire chief wants his crew to expand their skills and equipment.

Paul See is asking local corporations for financial support to launch a regional water rescue team. He also wants new jaws of life purchased for the department.

Currently the nearest water rescue team is in Prince Albert. See said response times of over an hour to potential disasters is far too long. He said the creation of a trained team will help save lives across the northeast.

“If a kid falls through a dugout in Kinistino [or] St. Brieux, we would go right now,” he said.

See estimated the cost of a rescue team is $20,000, which covers equipment and training for interested members. The jaws of life is estimated at $27,000. He said their current stock is over 20-years-old.

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“The newer systems are smaller, easier to work. You get rid of the hoses, you get rid of the generator,” he said.

Another benefit to the news jaws is they only need to be serviced once every five years, where the current model is maintained annually. See said the request is about providing life saving practices across the region.

“We show up and we’re very limited in what we can do. We’re there to help people, but we need the equipment to do it,” he said.

clark.stork@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @ ClarkStork