BONNYVILLE – This year marks a significant milestone for the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA).
July 18 is the 25th anniversary of the BRFA serving the communities in the MD of Bonnyville and surrounding area.
BRFA Fire Chief Jay Melvin said the regional concept for fire services was originally discussed by the Town and MD of Bonnyville councils in 1995 and the paperwork was officially in place the following year.
“I think just based on the cost of providing, at the time, fire protection for both municipalities, there were some very proactive members of that team that saw the benefit of a regionalized concept for emergency services,” detailed Melvin.
Melvin stated the BRFA was the first non-municipal, independent fire authority in the province.
“It was something that probably had a lot of risks and unknowns back in 1995 and 1996, but where we are today has proven to both municipalities and to the taxpayer that it’s a fraction of the cost compared to if we weren’t a regional fire authority and if we didn’t have the structure that we have today.”
Brian McEvoy, who was the fire chief at the time, said it took a few years to iron out all the necessary details for the BRFA to become its own entity.
“The concept of regionalized services wasn’t new to the fire service; it was just new to Alberta. There were a lot of places that we drew on,” he noted.
There were originally 13 separate fire halls and departments that came together to form the BRFA. Now, there are nine that serve the Bonnyville, Iron River, Fort Kent, Ardmore, Glendon, La Corey, Goodridge, and surrounding area.
A major component for McEvoy during this time was standardizing the service levels and training for firefighters within the authority.
“For simple things like training, we were able to train firefighters regardless of where they were,” he explained. “If they were in Fort Kent, Ardmore, Iron River, or Glendon, the training levels they got there when we ended up on larger calls with combined halls, the equipment was all the same. The trucks were the same, which when you taught somebody how to pump an operator in Fort Kent, they could operate any truck within the MD. It’s the same thing with protective clothing, breathing apparatuses, and all that. When we started, we had different types of breathing apparatuses throughout the MD. Standardizing it all to one manufacturer and one training program made it a lot simpler.”
Volunteers have made up the BRFA since its inception.
“I’m proud to say that our volunteers are committed to providing a level of service to the community they serve,” stated Melvin. “Collectively as a team, we all work very well together and everybody’s brought into the interoperability between each department so each department helps out another when need be.”
MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk, who is the vice-chair for the BRFA board, noted the firefighters are the greatest aspect of working with the BRFA.
“It’s those core volunteers that have really made the authority unique and I just look forward to any time that we can get together with them.”
Along with looking after fire services within the MD and town, the BRFA also has industrial contracts with area oil field companies.
The BRFA has grown their services over the years. They established themselves as a 911 call centre in 2005 and then they started to run the contract with Alberta Health Services (AHS) in 2013 for EMS services.
This regionalized concept is one of the many reasons Town of Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewski described the BRFA as providing “a service of excellence and being recognized elsewhere in the province as providing excellent services.”
“They all work very well together and they’re all working towards the common goal of providing emergency services and fire protective services,” he added.
With all the BRFA has accomplished in 25 years, Melvin and McEvoy see a promising future for the fire authority.
“From my seat, I think the future looks bright,” stated Melvin. “I think there’s a lot of growth and opportunity and I think there’s room for this organization to enhance and take further responsibility. I think we’re strong enough as an organization that we’re well educated, we have lots of experience and, at the end of the day, we try to be less of a burden on municipalities every year as we keep moving forward. With the support of the community, I think we can continue to provide an outstanding level of service for emergency services in our local area.”
McEvoy agreed, “I think where it came from and where it is now is amazing. Where it’s going to go is even going to be better. The expansion of growth from, at the time, 13 separate fire halls and departments answering emergency calls on fire phones and handhelds to a service that is probably one of the best in western Canada to a full modern communications system, dispatch system, and 911 system, doing that in 25 years is quite an accomplishment. I think as it continues to evolve, it’s going to do nothing but get better.”
The BRFA is hosting a celebration at Bonnyville Station 5 to mark their milestone on Sunday, July 18.
