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Myrnam Firefighters thankful for Community Support
Myrnam Firefighters thankful for Community Support
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Members of the Myrnam & District Firefighter Association hosted an Appreciation Event to thank local residents who supported its Side-by-Side project the evening of June 20 at the fire hall.
The fundraising project for a side-by-side wildland unit and cube truck to transport equipment was a labour of love for members. Jessie Fedoriuk, who coordinated the project with Terry Axley, said he was happy it had come to fruition.
Both firefighters said they were very grateful for the community’s involvement in the project, pointing out that both residents who live in town and those in the surrounding area generously donated to the project. Helping push the project towards the finishing line was approval of The Community Initiatives Program (CIP) grant supplied through the Government of Alberta. They officially received approval of the CIP grant in the amount of $39,000 on August 18, 2023. Altogether, the total project cost was $85,000.
“We started looking into the project in October 2021,” noted Fedoriuk. The side-by-side unit, explained Axley, “is a very versatile piece of equipment” that can traverse rugged terrain, navigate through dense bush, access remote trails and handle steep inclines.
Equipped with an 80-gallon water tank and pump, the unit can carry three crew members and transport one patient on a stretcher board. The side-by-side is outfitted with tracks instead of wheels, so it can handle a variety of weather conditions and challenges like water, mud and snow.
The 24-foot, five-ton box truck that was recently purchased has plenty of storage space for other firefighting equipment, including a boat that is used for water rescue and wet suits as well as storage container for additional water.
A special ramp, was custom designed and constructed by Northland Panels. Decals and the names of sponsors are listed on the exterior of the truck.
Chief John Fedoriuk said they hosted the event to personally thank and show their gratitude to community members, organizations and businesses who donated to the project. He admitted the project was a “big endeavour” but that he was so proud of what they all had accomplished.
Myrnam resident Nestor Saskiw grew up and attended school in the community. He went on to become a teacher and taught in Two Hills School and Myrnam. Saskiw said, “The fire department is very aggressive. They do a very good job and people admire their enthusiasm.” He feels the wildland unit will be easy to get into difficult places. Taras Saruk concurred, and pointed out that you never know if you will be the person in need of assistance from firefighters.
Derwent resident Frank Osguthorpe attended the event with his friend Lee Gagne. He said he wanted to come by and personally thank the firefighters who assisted him and his sister who were involved in a bad accident at the intersection of Secondary Highway 45 and 881 on Dec. 1, 2022. They were trapped in their vehicle for 45 minutes on what might have been the coldest day of the year and vividly remembers the firefighters from Myrnam who helped them and provided the jaws-of-life to extricate them. “You couldn’t ask for a better bunch of guys.”
