(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

Into the New Year

Hope and the Future: P.A. Fire Department to focus on training in 2021

Dec 26, 2020 | 8:00 AM

The COVID-19 pandemic makes 2020 a year many may prefer to forget but there is hope for the future. We’ve decided to make that the focus of our series of end-of-year stories.

For the Prince Albert Fire Department, Fire Chief Kris Olsen told paNOW they’re a multi-faceted organization in the fact they respond to more than just fires but all hazard emergencies.

He explained their outlook for 2021 is to focus on training for those events that are required to make sure they do the job properly.

“In 2021 our focus is going to be on operational training,” he explained. “Members have to hone their skills and these skill sets are lost if you don’t continually use them or continue to update your training on these things.”

He explained an example would be rope rescue, knowing your ropes and being comfortable using them.

Raiders AGM

Raiders impact on Prince Albert local economy continues to go up: AGM report

1h ago

Court proceedings

'The impact of this trauma will echo for generations': court case surrounding La Ronge woman's death reaches conclusion

Dec 11, 2024

Going Global

P.A.'s Zablocki named to Team Canada for U18 Women's World Championships

Dec 11, 2024

In September, the Prince Albert Fire Fighters Association said two new fire halls are needed in the city for quicker response times. Olsen said it is a budgetary item and there will be a report going before city council.

Olsen said when the pandemic hit, they lost the ability to host their annual open house they have during Fire Prevention Week in October. They are looking forward to the possibility of it making a return in 2021.

“That’s kind of our staple is to have the community come to us, you know we provide some information and some fun for the kids, usually a barbecue,” he said. “We weren’t able to do that in 2020 so I guess with the vaccine out we are still hopeful that we’ll be able to do that again in 2021.”

To make up for it, Olsen said they did outdoor education which comprised of going to day camps and some church groups to do outdoor fire truck tours.

“Hopes for 2021 we’ll continue with making the best out of a poor situation, which is COVID and we’ll continue to find ideas and ways to reach out to the public,” Olsen explained. “But we’re hopeful that with the vaccine on the horizon here and we’re hopeful that by October we’re crossing our fingers that we can have our open house again.”

–

Ian.gustafson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow