View From the Legislature

It was an enjoyable evening this past Thursday at the open house for the new fire hall in Blumenort. There was of course much to attract the hundreds of people who came out for the occasion. In addition to the new equipment and fire trucks, which kids of all ages enjoy, there was a community BBQ. If it felt like a community celebration, that’s because it really was.

After years of planning and preparing by the Rural Municipality of Hanover and local LUD officials, there was much to be proud of for all those who were involved. Firefighters from neighboring communities were in attendance as were other emergency response personnel. The fire hall location is easy to see and access on the south side of the community. The 6400 square foot facility will house three fire trucks (a pumper, a tanker and a rescue unit.)

For a growing town like Blumenort, which has relied upon neighboring communities to provide these types of emergency response services, the new crew of firefighters will provide both service and peace of mind. And while the facility is called a fire hall, the types of emergencies that are responded to goes beyond structure, vehicle and grass and brush fires. In addition to fires, calls for service come as a result of vehicle collisions, farm accidents and alarm calls to name a few. In addition to just responding to incidents, fire hall personnel also typically play a significant role in the prevention of fire and accidents through the efforts of safety education programs.

The Blumenort Fire Hall District Chief Roberto Hiebert has the task of operationalizing a new hall with new members. He will be well supported by Hanover Fire Chief Paul Wiebe and other local departments as the newest addition to the Hanover Fire Department gains experience.

Each of those who are serving at the Blumenort Fire Hall do so with a strong sense of community service. Few communities in Manitoba or even Canada are large enough to be staffed with full-time firefighters and so throughout the country there is a great reliance on volunteer and part-time members. These members are often involved in other full-time occupations and so they rely on the generosity of their employers to be able to be on call and to respond to emergencies. In that way, this type of local emergency response is truly a community effort where everyone pitches in and everyone benefits.

Congratulations to Reeve Stan Toews and each of the councillors within the Rural Municipality of Hanover for bringing this project from planning to completion. And thank you to each of those who are serving at the Blumenort Fire Hall and all of our fire stations across the region for your dedication to the safety of our residents.