(Adrian St.Onge/CHAT News)

By Adrian St.Onge

ENVIRONMENT

Cypress County Fire Department gear up in Elkwater for upcoming fire season

Mar 11, 2024 | 4:01 PM

The Cypress County Fire Department held a specialized training session in Elkwater last weekend.

Twenty-one county firefighters were trained in a provincially-funded program to prepare for what experts believe will be a very active wildfire season.

The program was designed to help prepare firefighters for potential wildfires running into urban centers.

Fire Chief Jason Linton said that when people call 911, they’re looking for a responder regardless of background training.

Linton said the training is important as it allows the county to respond effectively and appropriately.

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“There’s a big difference between a wildland firefighter and a municipal structural firefighter,” Linton said.

“There is a role for municipal firefighters to play in an urban center as a wildfire encroaches on a townsite like the one here in Elkwater,” he said.

“We’re really understanding the tools and the knowledge to be able to respond and help the provincial firefighters.”

The Alberta government announced funding for additional resources last month, including an additional 100 firefighters to help with an early declaration of the wildfire season.

There are currently 53 active wildfires in the province.