Firefighters from Buckland Fire and Rescue doing vehicle rescue training. (Facebook/Buckland Fire and Rescue)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Emergency Service Training

Public school board approves contribution to area fire department

May 6, 2020 | 1:42 PM

The board for the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division has approved a donation to Buckland Fire and Rescue.

At their meeting Monday evening the board voted to give the volunteer fire department a decommissioned bus to be used for training.

Sask. Rivers Director of Education Robert Bratvold said the division has donated old buses in the past and is happy to do so again.

“This is a great opportunity to strengthen the community partnerships,” he said.

Bratvold explained it is important for them to support Buckland because the division may have to call on the department for their services one day. He added they will be working to get in touch with Buckland Fire and Rescue to arrange delivery of the bus to the fire hall.

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Chris Doucette, deputy fire chief for Buckland had not heard about the board’s decision when reached by paNOW Wednesday morning.

Doucette said the bus donation will help firefighters learn on a number of levels and acquire some new skills.

“We’re able to take our members through, give them an opportunity to see some of the different bus construction and some of the various rescue techniques,” he said.

Doucette said a decommissioned bus can generally only get through one round of training as there is lots of focus on gaining entry, which he said leaves the vehicle chopped up by the end.

In regards to calls involving buses, Doucette said it is not a common one, but given they are a rural fire and rescue service with lots of buses travelling in and around their area it is important firefighters have the skills and training.

“We just want to make sure our group is adequately prepared in the event we do have to respond,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn