The volunteer fire departments that serve communities along Highway 63 are in over their heads.
That’s not a knock against any of these departments or their members, who selflessly give their time and energy to help protect their communities.
The fact of the matter is that Highway 63 generates more emergency calls than any of the volunteer departments can reasonably handle.
It’s been almost six months since the Wandering River Fire Department temporarily folded, drawing attention to the burden placed on the volunteer departments. Other departments along the highway stepped in to assist, while the provincial government promised that they were working on a longer-term solution.
Six months later, the volunteer fire departments are still waiting.
Finally, last week, Lac La Biche County said enough is enough, and they pulled the Plamondon Fire Department off Highway 63 detail.
That leaves Athabasca County holding the bag, as its departments in Boyle, Grassland and Wandering River will now have even larger areas to cover, performing tasks that are beyond their mandate. It seems inevitable that these volunteers will eventually fall victim to the same burnout that Wandering River and Plamondon firefighters have experienced.
For the province to leave it up to the municipalities to solve the problem is unfair. After all, the situation on Highway 63 wasn’t their creation; it just so happens that the route between two major centres goes through their backyards.
Responsibility for addressing this issues falls on the province, and they have dragged their feet on this issue for too long. The government needs to provide appropriate emergency response services along the entire length of Highway 63, which means more properly trained personnel and equipment than volunteer fire departments should be expected to provide.
If the province needs help solving the problem, then perhaps they ought to knock on industry’s door. After all, its mostly their workforce who are travelling Highway 63. It only seems appropriate that they help ensure their safety.
