SFX firefighters receive new life-saving equipment

The St. Francois Xavier Fire Department is getting a major upgrade, thanks to nearly $800,000 worth of new equipment.

The fire department received an automatic external defibrillator earlier this month. This fall, it will roll out two new fire trucks.

After a collision last November destroyed one of the department’s fire trucks, the decision was made to replace it and purchase a second truck .

One of the new vehicles is a tanker pumper, which can store up to 2,650 gallons of water. The second is a compressed-air foam pumper, which can store up to 1,000 gallons of water.

The two new fire trucks will cost a total of $750,000 and will be delivered by late October,

Due to the cost of purchasing the new vehicles, the department intended to delay its plans to purchase the new defibrillator. Then the Masonic Foundation stepped in to purchase the device on behalf of the fire department.

A defibrillator is a portable, electronic life-saving device which allows firefighters to shock a heart in cardiac standstill back to a treatable rhythm.

Deputy Chief Brian Bailie said he’s seen AEDs save at least two dozen lives in his 36 years in the Fire-EMS service.

“Annually across North America, 46% of all line of duty deaths have been attributed to sudden cardiac distress due to the very stressful and unpredictable environment we have to operate in,” Bailie said.

“Early access to CPR and defibrillation can improve a firefighter’s chances of surviving such an event dramatically.”

Bailie said the resources for the job are a lot different in a rural setting. For instance, there is a defibrillator on every Winnipeg fire truck.

“When you’re in rural areas, you’re kind of at the mercy of what’s available,” he said.

Bailie, who has been a member of the Masonic Foundation for several years, stressed to the organization that the department desperately needed such a device.

The foundation chooses several organizations to support each year. Rather than donating lump sums of cash, they concentrate on specific projects. All of the money comes from members of the organization. There is no external fundraising.

“We help the organizations to get something that’s not normally within their budgets,” said Steve Kane, executive secretary of the foundation.

The foundation’s president, John Campbell, said the need for an defibrillator at the SFX Fire Department was clear, and the foundation was happy to be able to contribute the $4,000 required to purchase the device.

The defibrillator will be used solely for firefighters if they are injured in the line of duty. It has been available to the SFX Fire Department for in-house use since July 10.

“This gives us a chance for our own people,” Bailie said.

Bailie has been stressing the importance of upgrading the fire department’s equipment since he started three years ago.

Over the past three years, SFX Council has assisted the fire department in adding $70,000 of new clothing, breathing apparatus and water rescue equipment.

“Council has worked very diligently to recapitalize the fire department’s budget,” Bailie said.

Bailie added that he feels confident that additional equipment will allow the department to continue to run smoothly.

“The people in the community should be very pleased and proud of where the fire department is now,” he said.

The fire department is planning an open house in the fall to showcase the new trucks, along with a 25-year reunion of all former and current members.