(Submitted photo/ Graham Calow)

By Angie Rolheiser

What it takes to become a member of the Melfort Fire Department

May 11, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Opinion: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the writer of this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of northeastNOW or Pattison Media.

‘Under pressure, you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training.’ That’s why firefighters train so hard. And I can tell you, from firsthand experience, the work of Melfort Fire and Rescue doesn’t end when the flames are put out.

I have spent the last several months, learning what it takes to become an on-call firefighter for the city. It’s a role I’ve come to appreciate more than I thought I would. The dedication, the strength and the courage of each member is admirable and inspiring.

Training enables firefighters to learn new skills and techniques to make their jobs safer and reduce damage and it provides firefighters the needed experience to be effective in their jobs. What you picture to be a simple task like hooking up a hose to a hydrant, requires so many more decisions than you’d think. For example, did you know there are actually many different sizes of hoses for different scenarios?

The recruit class that I was invited to be a part of also took some of us to new heights. I say some of us – because I only got halfway up the ladder before I came back down. Joking aside, Captain Randy Martin and firefighter Kyle Walsh taught us how to carry a ladder, set them up and climb them properly. I was blown away by the size of an attic ladder and how firefighters climb it effortlessly while carrying several pounds of gear and all the self-contained breathing apparatus.

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During one training session in May, we took turns pumping water at the reservoir near the water treatment plant to help prepare us for any rural calls where there are no hydrants. Afterwards, and after every training session or call, members of the Melfort Fire Department clean up all the equipment and the hall, so they’re always prepared for the next response. I am told that clean up after a call may take longer than the call itself. After some calls, clean ups have taken over three hours.

(Submitted photo/ Dave Fannon)

The crew does make some time for play. In late April, the department hosted a banquet for all its members and recruits took their oath and graduated from training. Service awards were also presented, and special recognition was given to captain.

Doug Dudar who retired after a 27-year career. I was only able to train alongside Dudar on a couple of occasions, but I can tell he will be truly missed as a member and captain.

As a mother of two very busy kids, who also works full time at the radio station, it wasn’t always easy to get to training, but I am very proud to have gone through the training process and honoured to be able to experience what I did alongside an amazing group of fellow recruits and mentors. The citizens of Melfort and area are very fortunate to have the crew that we do at the fire hall.

Congratulations to some of my fellow recruits from the spring who completed their training and are now in the probationary firefighter phase. Lars Andreason, Brandon Archibald, Victor Archibald, and Nick Irvine all graduated. Also training with us and part of the graduation were two members of the Naicam Fire Department, Jerwayne Dasalla and Dylan Kellington.

Training continues for members of the Melfort Fire Department every Thursday night to keep skills on point and ensure that in the event of an incident, everyone is ready to go and comfortable with responding. As the doors at the hall read, ‘we all come home safe.’

(Submitted photo/ Dave Fannon)

I am happy to say that I am continuing with training and am eager to respond to my first real call. When that time comes, I will be sure to let you all know how it went.

Fire Chief Shaun Stewart, Deputy Chief Doug Walsh, Captain Randy Martin, Captain Graham Calow, Captain Doug Dudar, and Captain Leonard Whitney, the senior firefighters and even the recruit class from last spring, have all helped in some way or another to get us ready to help serve the community when they need it most. They have all also been incredibly patient and understanding when life happens and I couldn’t make it to training, I really can’t thank them enough for everything they do.

If you have ever wondered if you could become a paid, on-call firefighter in the City of Melfort, give it a shot. Is it a lot of work? Absolutely. Is it time consuming? Of course. Is it worth all the time and work? I’m here to tell you, it is 100 per cent worth it.

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angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com