Strathmore Fire first to respond in High River

Times Reporter    

 

After sending a jet boat and two firefighters to Burns Lake, B.C. on June 18, the team had to be called back the next day, as the Strathmore Fire Department dispatched a boat and three four-person teams to High River for 36 straight hours of rescue.

“Basically, they abandoned their cars in the streets. There were cars with their headlights on, wipers still going. It was chaos, is what it was,” said Fire Chief Muir Furzer.

Whereas Calgary had roughly 10 hours to evacuate, High River was only given a 12-minute warning of the floodwaters. The Strathmore Fire Department was first on the scene, saving people trapped in their homes and from the tops of their cars. The military later arrived, followed by the RCMP.

“I’ve never been part of a huge flooding or seen anything like that before,” said Firefighter Mark Romaniuk. “I ended up sitting with one of the victims. We just started talking, and we said to each other…it doesn’t matter if your house is worth $2 million or you live in an apartment, you’re still getting the exact same care.”

Romaniuk was working in a team with a High River Fire Department member, and a private diver, to try and assist those in need. 

“It was hectic. It was definitely an eye opener. For me, it put into perspective on what you have in your life, and they just lost it all,” he said.

Strathmore Fire also aided Siksika and Carseland to help those trapped along the Bow River, but had to turn away assisting in Black Diamond and Bragg Creek.

“We had multiple requests, and we had to turn requests down – we just didn’t have enough resources,” said Furzer. “We prioritize our calls and basically just disperse the firefighters and the equipment to where the priorities were needed.”

The department is still on standby for Medicine Hat and Drumheller, but as these places had time to plan, it is likely they will be fine.

“The biggest thing is your level of training and equipment,” said Deputy Fire Chief, Terry Desserre. 

Furzer added: “We’re doing our job, going out and helping, assisting people in need, who are in trouble.”

To support all of the citizens affected, the Town of Strathmore will be selling Southern Alberta Flood Relief Fund buttons on Canada Day for $5 each. Also, Mayor Steve Grajczyk is organizing a team to hold a roast beef dinner in High River this Saturday.

“On behalf of myself and my fellow counsellors, our heartfelt sorrow goes out to all the flood victims, especially to the families who have lost loved ones,” Mayor Grajczyk said. “We will continue to do all we can to help.”