Great, and Reasonable, Expectations

When someone calls 911, there are expectations: One, that their plea for help will be responded to quickly and without delay; two, that the responders are professionals, fully trained in dealing with their emergency; and three, that once help arrives, prompt and reliable action will be taken.

One of the Fire Department's Command Vehicles

Saturday morning, August 31, 2013, at about 4:00 am, the Fire Department responded to an alarm at Kindersley Composite School (KCS). After phoning everyone on their list so they could gain access without success, they called me - my wife teaches at the school and has keys. Fortunately, it was only a malfunctioning alarm but, nonetheless, I learned a lot in my 2.5 hours with the crew at KCS, on top of what I have learned so far.

Our firefighters are professionals. They undertake a lot of training on an ongoing basis. Twice a month, they meet to train and review. The certifications our guys achieve are no different from the career firefighters in Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton and other larger centres. What differentiates our firefighters from those larger centres? Commitment. Our guys, I believe, are more committed than the full time crews in larger centres. Why do I say this? Here are some reasons:

·         Who else leaves their job without permission of their boss to save a life or property?

·         Who else gives up time with their families and careers to train for emergency situations?

·         Who else gives up time with families and careers to respond to emergency situations?

·         Who else works all night responding to an emergency and then goes to their day job?

I firmly believe our guys are the best pros in the province, providing the best service they can with the resources they have. There are challenges:

·         There are employers who are understaffed and can't afford for their firefighter on staff to leave for an indeterminate period of time.

·         Employers have their own deadlines set by clients and need their staff to meet the deadlines.

·         Employers need staff whom are rested and can work all day without making mistakes due to fatigue.
 

Here is the tension our community is facing: Our businesses are facing deadlines, human resource shortages, and inconsistent attendance. It is understandable that they are reluctant to let their 'firefighting' staff go. However, if the Fire Department doesn't respond to emergencies, who does? Our Fire Department walks a fine line between responding to emergencies and supporting their families with their jobs and careers. So, what do we do? How do we ensure the safety of our residents, businesses, industries, and visitors while enabling our businesses and industries to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible?

Please write or phone if you would like me to discuss a particular topic. If you have any questions or comments, drop me a line at the town office or email me at mayorenns-wind@kindersley.ca. You can also check out my blog at http://mayorjohn.blogspot.ca/. I appreciate your feedback.

Have a good week!