Mutual Aid is an agreement to lend assistance between bordering fire departments. This allows each department to call upon each other for equipment or personnel their department may be lacking.
There are two different types of mutual aid agreements. One is specifically for firefighters responding to fires or motor vehicle accidents. The other is under the emergency response plan. Each county has an emergency response plan in place that includes its own mutual aid agreement for things like floods, tornadoes or multi structure fires.
Drumheller Fire Chief, Bruce Wade, said, “Different areas would have backhoes and that type of equipment that they would send along with personnel that can help in emergency centres. This is so it’s not so taxing on two or three individuals. These people can fill in and give them a break and let them get rested up.”
An example of this was during the Drumheller 2013 flood when surrounding areas lent equipment and personnel to help deal with the possible disaster.
The firefighters mutual aid agreement is put into action more than any other. Drumheller firefighters have a mutual agreement with Starland County, Kneehill County, and we are in the process of making an agreement with Wheatland, Hanna and special areas.
Fire Chief Wade said, “Basically a firefighter’s mutual aid agreement is if we get a call in town and we need more equipment we can call on one of our neighbors to come and help out with the specialized equipment they may have. Also if those areas don’t have the manpower of a fire of their own they aren’t obligated to come. It’s just an agreement that if we are called upon and can assist, we do.”
Sometimes one department will have different equipment than the next. The mutual aid agreement makes it possible for every department to access the equipment, tools and personnel they need.
Fire Chief Wade said, “The mutual aid agreement allows us to not just go up to the border but allows us to cross over and work together for the benefit of the victim or people involved.”
One area that this agreement between fire departments also includes motor vehicle accidents. According to Fire Chief Wade about 60% of the calls that Drumheller responds to are motor vehicle accidents.
“It’s a little different with vehicle accidents because some departments don’t have extraction equipment. Starland calls us if people are injured or need extraction because they don’t have the proper equipment to deal with that kind of thing,” Chief Wade explained.
Fire Chief Wade said there are times when they will get a call and head out. When they arrive and find that the accident is minor and the other department can handle it, Drumheller will stand down and head back to town.
Wade told The Mail, “When called upon we assist when possible but we will never leave the community not covered. We look at how far away the location is and what equipment is needed and if we have enough resources to spare.”
