It’s been years since Frobisher had a fire department to respond to fires, accidents and other incidents in and around the village, but now a dedicated group of volunteers is bringing back the brigade.
Carlee MacCuish, who is the secretary for the resurrected fire department, said the community wanted to have a volunteer fire crew again because the closest fire departments are in Bienfait and Oxbow.
“It would be nice to have our own for quicker responses,” said MacCuish.
The members of the previous department are now in their 50s and 60s. A couple of them, including MacCuish’s father, have agreed to stick around, but most of the 15-20 people who have brought the department back are in their mid to late 20s.
The older members don’t want to be fighting fires, but they do want to provide mentorship and experience to the younger individuals.
Before they can get going again, they need to get the proper training for their members.
“We’re supposed to do training this summer, so hopefully … by September we’ll be up,” she said.
Right now they are able to respond to some calls, such as the a large grass fire that happened south of Hirsch on Good Friday.
“The truck went to it and the guys went to it. We can respond but we won’t be called,” said MacCuish. “If somebody were to call 911 to report a fire, they wouldn’t call us yet.”
For them to respond to a fire right now, it would be through word of mouth. Once they have their training, then 911 would contact them to respond to calls.
Everybody will have to have their first aid and hydrogen sulfide training, which most already have. They also have to take their Level 1000 course, which is the basic course to respond to calls beyond grass fires.
The village’s fire truck has aged well. They took it to the fire south of Hirsch, and to a couple of activities in the community.
The truck is a 2000s model, so it’s relatively new.
Equipment is still needed. All the necessary hoses are in place, and a company from Oxbow has donated a pump for the back of the truck.
“We’re looking to get tow ropes, and more of our equipment like gloves and breathing masks,” said MacCuish.
When they first started up, they received a donation of old jackets and pants from the Estevan Fire Rescue Service.
A letter was sent to businesses in the region looking for donations.
“We’ve had quite a few donations come back from our letter. Some money and some equipment,” she said.
They also need to work on the hall on Main Street by fixing the plumbing so that they can load the truck in the hall and not have to resort to a fire hydrant. They also need to replace the locks on the doors.
Maintenance and electrical issues also have to be addressed.
“We have a bell behind the fire station, so that when call comes in, the first guy to the hall turns the bell on. If anybody’s in town and they don’t have their phone and they don’t get the call, they can hear the bell.”
MacCuish said she wanted to be part of the new fire department because it was her brothers and their friends who decided it was time to bring it back. She took on the secretary’s role and some of the more technical duties.
The fact that her father was part of the old Frobisher department also factored in her decision.
The fire department is still looking for people who would be willing join and help keep others in the community safe.
