Emergency responders in Drumheller are ready to assist with the efforts for Fort McMurray.
The northern Alberta oil capital has been devastated by wildfires since the weekend, with the entire city put on evacuation notice yesterday due to the fires covering a reported 10,000 hectares.
Drumheller RCMP and the Fire Department have both been asked to provide extra support to the effort, with RCMP officers Eric Doucette and Chris MacEachern preparing to go today.
“They need extra resources out there so it’s kind of a fan out throughout the province for extra members. Every detachment is sending what they can,” said Corporal Rod Guthrie.
“It’s kind of been all-hands-on-deck type of thing.”
Officer Chris Maceachern will be going to Fort McMurray tomorrow night.
“I don’t know what I’ll be doing yet, but I’ll help out wherever I can,” MacEachern said.
“The main thing for us is that everyone’s safe.”
While RCMP members are on standby, Fire Chief Bruce Wade told The Mail he has received an e-mail from the Fire Commissioner’s office looking to see who was in the position to provide resources.
Wade responded positively, asking what it could provide.
Wade says they there are members of the department who are willing to mobilize should they be required to help with the firefighting or aid effort.
“The difficulty of sending men or equipment is you have no idea how long the could be there, it could be a week or two months. It is tough until you know what the need is,” said Wade.
Guthrie, who may assist next week, said Drumheller RCMP’s initial goal is to send available members as soon as possible and then figure out logistics.
“I don’t know the strategics of what’s going on up there. It’s such short notice.”
“All Albertans are watching this,” said Premier Rachel Notley at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. “All Albertans are with the people of Fort McMurray. We will do everything we can to ensure everybody’s safety.”
The Fire Commissioner office is coordinating with the Emergency Operations Centre in Fort McMurray.
The Drumheller Fire Department has been on the ready before helping in times of crisis.
Drumheller RCMP had previously sent members to High River when it flooded in 2013. The Drumheller Fire Department assisted with the Penticton wildfires of 2009.
Reporting by Patrick Kolafa and Kyle Smylie
Photos courtesy of Terri Nichol
