MELFORT — The Melfort Fire Department has adapted to the crisis with chemical and biohazard suits, as well as reaching out to retired firefighters for emergency personnel.
“During our current crisis, anytime one of our members may come in contact with the public during a scene call, the firefighters will respond on the scene with a minimum of their full turnout gear and Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA),” said Shaun Stewart, Melfort’s fire chief.
“Depending on what the call is will determine what protective gear we will wear.”
Should the firefighters respond to medical assistance, they are instructed to wear Dupont Tychem 2000 suits.
The suits are a liquid splash protection and are used in the petroleum industry, pulp and paper, food and chemical processing, and pharmaceutical industries.
The outfits have a built in hood, elastic cuffs and ankles with a front zipper closure. The recommended usages are for chemical hazards such as, hazardous dry powders, light chemical splashes and aerosols. They are also used for biohazards such as bloodborne pathogens, blood, saliva and other human waste products. The firefighters are also instructed to wear their medical exam gloves and turnout boots.
When responding to a carbon monoxide alarm or vehicle fires, the department will be in full turnout gear.
Stewart said the Melfort emergency services, RCMP, EMS and Melfort Fire Department are working closely together on responses and trying to limit their exposures to the public as much as they can.
“We are all doing this as each department has limited resources of staff,” he said.
“We also have protocols in place with Melfort EMS where if EMS are on scene before us, we will stage close to the scene but remain in our apparatus until EMS calls us out to assist.
The Melfort Fire Department has 21 members.
The department has reached out to recently retired Melfort firefighters and has acquired 15 members who have been social distancing and are willing to come back and fill in should some of their current members get sick and their numbers drop.
“Are the measures in place extreme? Possibly. However, we won’t ever know if we were over prepared for the current situation at hand – but we will definitely know if we were under prepared,” Stewart said.
“Myself, the officers and firefighters in the Melfort Fire Department will always try to be on the over prepared side no matter what comes along.”
