(Facebook/Birch Hills Fire and Rescue)

By Nigel Maxwell

Equipment needs

Birch Hills fire dept. pursues purchase of new truck

Mar 1, 2021 | 3:00 PM

Birch Hills Fire and Rescue is in need of a new fire truck, and is reaching out for help to raise over $300,000.

Donations can be made at either the Rural Municipality (RM) office or at the town office. Fire Chief Lyle Evans told paNOW the volunteer fire department’s current truck is nearly 30 years old.

“In our case, the fire truck is obsolete so it’s tough to get parts for it,” he said.

Because they respond to calls both in the town, as well as in the rural area, Evans explained, they require a dual purpose truck to meet both needs.

“The quotes are coming in around $320,000,” he said, adding the cost of a used truck is only $80,000 cheaper and they also have more options for financing with respect to getting a new truck.

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To date, the fire department has raised $32,000 and both the RM and the Town of Birch Hills have offered support as well. Doug Lapchuk, President of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, told paNOW a lot of volunteer fire departments across the province are dealing with the same pressures⁠—making do with the best equipment they can afford.

“And at times it isn’t always possible to afford the newest and most up to date equipment,” he said.

Lapchuk explained, with the current COVID climate, it’s become very difficult for communities to fundraise, adding many communities themselves are dealing with budgetary problems. On top of that, volunteer fire departments only receive so much in provincial funding.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s an issue that is gonna cause grief throughout the province, but it is one that’s been there for a number of years,” Lapchuk said. “Our motto is always identify, adapt and overcome, so we’ll find a way to do it.”

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell