Show some love and protect your local volunteer firefighters
There’s an estimated 3,672 fire departments in Canada, 83% of these are staffed by volunteer firefighters. As a volunteer-driven organization, 25 members of Redwood Meadows Emergency Services (RMES) responded to 370 calls for help in 2021.
Every year, Canadian firefighters are injured or killed in the line of duty. Here’s some tips to help keep your local volunteer firefighters safe as we do our work.
Move out of the way – it’s the law: When you see the big red trucks heading to someone else’s emergency with lights flashing, pull over to the right side of the road and STOP, until the emergency vehicle passes. Once the truck passes, check your mirrors to ensure more emergency vehicles aren’t following before resuming speed.
Slow down and then slow down some more: One of the most dangerous parts of our job is doing traffic management at motor vehicle accidents. When you see emergency vehicles on the highway, slow down well in advance. The slower the better when we have team members on slippery highways focused on quickly grabbing equipment from trucks! Follow the directions of the first responders. Don’t stop to take pictures (we aren’t that good looking!). Focus on your own safe driving. Resume speed only when you are well clear. Treat every firefighter you see working on the highway as a family member, neighbour or friend – because we are all of these to someone in the community.
Make sure your address is visible from the road: A reflective or illuminated street number makes it easier for us
to find you at night!
If you have an automated gate, give us a code(or get an SOS-type gate that opens to our sirens): Any delay in getting to you in an emergency may be critical!
Keep your driveways and paths cleared of snow and ice: Sliding is fun on sleds and skates in the winter, but not down snowy driveways in firetrucks or while carrying emergency gear. If you know of a neighbour with mobility issues, be a snow angel and help them keep their paths clear of snow and ice.
Alison Archambult
