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Barrhead Regional Fire Services willing and able to respond

Chief says they are taking extra precautions to ensure it is business as usual at the fire hall
Barrhead Fire Hall March 24-cropped
Although Barrhead’s Emergency Response Centre is closed to the public, both the fire chief and deputy chief reassure the public that it members are willing and able to respond to calls. Barry Kerton/BL

BARRHEAD - It is business as usual for Barrhead Regional Fire Services, for the most part.

That’s the word from BFRS fire chief Gary Hove and deputy chief Ted Amos.

Like most, if not all, public and government offices, such as the Barrhead RCMP Detachment and the community’s municipal offices, the fire department has closed its doors to the public to protect its members from the COVID-19 virus.

Amos said that like everyone else, they have to take precautions, but they are willing and able to respond to calls.

Hove agreed, noting the department is strictly adhering to the advice and protocols given to them by Alberta Health Services (AHS) through the Medical First Response (MFR) program.

The MFR is an optional program that AHS provides for medical first responder groups such as volunteer or paid-on-call fire departments such as the BRFS.

AHS and Alberta Health, in collaboration with an expert advisory panel, have developed a provincial model for Medical First Response (MFR). It formalizes the standards of medical care provided by MFR’s across the province.

The MFR website reiterates that communities decide what level of response is offered by their local Medical First Response agency.

“We are participating in weekly conference calls and they also send out information to us as well,” Hove said.

Additional information and training resources on how to protect first responders from potential COVID-19 and other infections are also sent to fire departments through the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Alberta Fire (IAFC) and the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA).

“We recently took part in an (IAFC) webinar about what they are doing in the United States and what we might be able to incorporate here,” Hove said. “It is very similar to the type of information we are getting through Alberta Health.”

As for whether the province has given the department any extra protective equipment such as face shields, he said it is something BFRS already possesses.

“We have [personal protection equipment] for our people, and if stocks should run low, we have other items that we can use, such as hazmat masks that we can decontaminate,” he said.

Hove added that whenever BRFS members respond to medical calls and they are exposed to a patient, upon their return they go through a thorough decontamination process.

“They decontaminate their equipment and all their clothing, so there is no chain from the department to home,” he said.

Daily business

Amos also wanted to remind people that the public still needs to get a fire permit before they burn.

Failure to do so could result in not only a fine, but could have ramifications on potential insurance payouts if it gets out of control, as well as firefighting costs being charged to the property owner or tenant.

To arrange for a fire permit, call the fire department at 780-674-2087 or if it is the County of Barrhead a fire guardian.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com

COVID-19 UPDATE: Follow our COVID-19 special section for the latest local and national news on the coronavirus pandemic, as well as resources, FAQs and more.


Barry Kerton

About the Author: Barry Kerton

Barry Kerton is the managing editor of the Barrhead Leader, joining the paper in 2014. He covers news, municipal politics and sports.
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