While the Saddle Lake fire department is currently without equipment to respond to emergencies following a wildfire on Friday that consumed its fire truck, a temporary agreement was quickly put together to ensure resources are in place, should an emergency arise in the next two weeks.
According to St. Paul Fire Chief Trevor Kotowich, the department was called out to help Saddle Lake firefighters Friday evening.
"We . . . were called out to assist Saddle Lake this evening under 'extraordinary' circumstances," said Kotowich, Friday night. "They had an out of control wildfire, which unfortunately consumed one of their fire trucks."
In consultation with the County of St. Paul's administration and Reeve Steve Upham, it was determined that St. Paul would send out two trucks and eight firefighters to assist in the situation. On Saturday, representatives from St. Paul and Saddle Lake got together and a temporary 14-day agreement was put in place.
Saddle Lake band councillor Leslie Steinhauer says that in the past, there have been challenges and limitations with St. Paul helping with calls in Saddle Lake. Work is now being done to put a mutual aid agreement in place, for the long-term.
Right now, Saddle Lake doesn't have the necessary equipment to respond to its needs, says Steinhauer.
"We are looking at building a relationship to get a mutual aid (agreement) signed within the two communities, to be more efficient," says Steinhauer. He adds that the priority for both communities is to keep all residents safe.
“Every day that goes by, anything can happen," states Steinhauer. In a typical week, the Saddle Lake fire department responds to two or three calls. The response time will increase with St. Paul responding to calls in the interim, and Steinhauer hopes residents exercise caution.
The Saddle Lake band is looking at renting a unit to allow for crews to continue working and responding to fires in the community. He estimates the cost of the equipment lost in Friday's fire to be about $500,000.
“We can’t leave (community members) unprotected," says Steinhauer, adding, “I really appreciate St. Paul understanding our needs and being there to give us a hand.”
