Last year the EFRS receive 218 calls for service. Firefighters also participated in 77 training nights and community engagement activities, which included public education events that took place before the pandemic, birthday drive-bys, fundraising activities for the Angel Tree and more. The training and activities were on par with the previous year. We had a total of 295 fire-related events, which translates into being active every 1.2 days, said Feser. While some weeks were pretty quiet, other days fire crews were working non-stop for many hours, responding to multiple calls. Of the calls for service, 65 were related to fire alarms, which include both active and false alarms. Another 40 calls involved motor vehicle collisions of different scales. There were also 16 calls related to gas leaks, which include carbon monoxide (CO) and other noxious substances.
On Jan. 5 at about 1:30 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a crash that occurred at the intersection of Kensington Avenue and Fourth Street. Two vehicles collided just west of the intersection. Firefighters provided traffic control and isolated vehicles, then the scene was turned over to the Estevan Police Service (EPS). No injuries were reported as a result of the collision. The vehicles sustained significant damage and had to be towed. The next call for service came in at about 4:30 p.m. when fire crews were dispatched to central Estevan for a report of a residential fire alarm. Once crews arrived on scene, it was found that the homeowner was changing the batteries in the detection heads. So, there was no emergency occurring, and the trucks were stood down and returned to the station, said Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser.
To protect the family from unexpected emergencies, it s important to go through the precautions below. 1. Inspect electrical decorations for damage before use. Cracked or damaged sockets, loose or bare wires, and loose connections may cause a serious shock or start a fire. 2. Do not overload electrical outlets. Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are a common cause of holiday fires. Avoid overloading outlets and plug only one high-wattage appliance into each outlet at a time. 3. Never connect more than three strings of incandescent lights. More than three strands may not only blow a fuse, but can also cause a fire.