The Drumheller Fire Department was elated Tuesday morning to receive a donation that goes a long way to making members safer.
Cenovus donated $100,000 to the fire department. The department has directed the funds to be used for a complete change out of their Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).
“By Cenovus giving us this $100,000 it has certainly helped us and the municipality in a huge way,” said Fire Chief Bill Bachynski. “The taxpayer didn’t bear that burden.”
The department will be receiving 19 new Scott Air-Pak 4.5 SCBAs. These replace the department’s current equipment, which is roughly 30 years old. The new SCBAs are lightweight and double the capacity, allowing firefighters 45 minutes of air when battling blazes. The new units are also equipped with a Man Down Alarm, which sounds when it detects a lack of activity. The equipment also has Pak Tracker, which allows a downed firefighter to be located in an emergency. The masks have a heads up display, which shows the operator’s SCBA reading right in the mask.
Leanne Courchesne, Community Investment Advisor for Cenovus said the donation fits its approach of investing in the community.
“We are happy to make the contribution back to the community of Drumheller. Part of our three focus areas where we give back is health and safety, so it was a great fit to give this money back to the department,” she said, adding the donation will serve the broader area where Cenovus operates.
Mayor Terry Yemen expressed his appreciation for the donation. He said having state of the art equipment at the ready for emergency responders allows them to work with a higher degree of confidence.
