Members of the Estevan Fire Rescue Service continue to be busy with vehicle-related incidents.
The fire department was called to a single-vehicle rollover on Highway 47 about 30 kilometres north of Estevan on Sept. 27. Fire Chief Dale Feser said the southbound vehicle swerved and left the road while trying to avoid a collision with a moose.
The vehicle was upright found in the west ditch.
The fire department checked to make sure there weren’t any fire risks in the vehicle, and after some fluid cleanup, the scene was turned over to the Estevan RCMP and the Estevan Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
“The individual was treated and released on scene by EMS … he was very, very fortunate,” said Feser. “Obviously he was very shaken as a result.”
Then they were called to a collision involving a train and a vehicle Sept. 29 on the Viewfield Road northwest of Hitchcock. The initial report indicated the possibility of entrapment and injuries, but that wasn’t the case.
It was a relatively minor collision that resulted in fuel leaks that were mitigated. EMS and RCMP attended the scene.
The other collision was a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Fourth Street and 13th Avenue on Sept. 30. It was non-reportable, and drivers exchanged information and were sent on their way.
Feser noted it was the fire department’s 200th call of the year.
The fire department was also called to a commercial fire alarm at a three-story condominium complex in north-central Estevan on Sept. 24. There was no visible smoke or flame from the exterior of the building.
It proved to be a duct alarm that was caused by a faulty device.
“The furnaces are firing up for the first time, so a lot of times there’s still dust and what not in the systems that can mimic smoke, and trigger the alarm as well,” said Feser.
In the community, several members of the department visited the Estevan Church of God on Sept. 23 to talk to the children’s program about fire safety. Young people learned the proper technique to stop, drop and roll; how to properly call 911; and the importance of knowing two ways out of a building in the event of a fire.
The two firefighters present showed the children how firefighters look and sound before and after donning their firefighting gear.
“We hid a couple of the children as well, so the firefighters had to do search and rescue drills to go find them,” said Feser.
The children also toured one of the fire trucks.
