‘The Key Message is Safety’: SaskEnergy Provides Training to Volunteer Fire Fighters
It’s important to SaskEnergy that when a volunteer fire department responds to an emergency that involves natural gas, they feel prepared and confident in keeping the situation safe. That’s why, for two decades, SaskEnergy has supported the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association (SVFFA) by providing training and sponsorship support.
The latest round of training came at this spring’s SVFFA fire school in Melville, where firefighters were provided with information on how to respond to a natural gas-related emergency. Attending the fire school to provide the training were SaskEnergy Operations Technicians Donald Anderson and Nathan Cherewyk.
“The key message is safety. We want them to feel safe while doing their job and have some confidence in their knowledge responding to natural gas-related emergencies,” says Donald.
“Usually, they will be the first to respond to the call and we need them to be safe until we can respond to the scene.”
SaskEnergy’s support of Saskatchewan’s volunteer fire departments and firefighters is all about a shared commitment to safety and community.
Donald says that through SaskEnergy working closely with volunteer fire departments, it helps keep everyone safe.
“Whether it’s keeping the scene safe until our technicians arrive, understanding that we are an asset to be called for carbon monoxide calls, or that we may be working side by side at many different types of emergencies, it’s important for us to support firefighters in keeping everyone safe,” Donald says.
“I’ve had great experience when working with volunteer fire departments in my area and the spring school is a good way to reach out to different departments across the province.”
For 25 years, SaskEnergy has been Saskatchewan’s Champion of Volunteers, supporting the organizations and people who go the extra mile to strengthen their communities. That includes our support of the more than 350 volunteer fire departments and 7,000 firefighters in the province through our Volunteer Fire Department Fundraising (VFDF) Grant.
“Since 2012, SaskEnergy has offered the VFDF Grant to assist volunteer fire departments in their fundraising efforts,” says SaskEnergy’s supervisor of Community Engagement, Allix Schweitzer. “These groups are often looking to upgrade or purchase new life-saving equipment and gear or make building improvements and our program helps them raise funds for these expenses.”
In the past 13 years, SaskEnergy has helped volunteer fire departments leverage more than $340,000 in funding through the VFDF Grant.
