Fire departments across the region are donating used equipment to the Sandy Lake fire department.
Wellington North mayor Ray Tout said donations of equipment are growing at a collection center in Mount Forest. The drive was initiated during discussions between the mayor and the Sandy Lake fire chief about getting badly needed equipment for his department.
Organizers have secured a tractor trailer from Wellington Wood Products to store the donated equipment.
Wellington North Fire Services fire prevention and public education officer Jason Benn said donations have been coming in since a request was posted on the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs website.
“We’ve had an overwhelming response,” he said.
Delivery of the equipment to Sandy Lake is being negotiated with the province, Benn added.
Tout said provincial regulations prohibit fire departments from retaining equipment older than seven years. Once the equipment is disposed of it usually ends up in the landfill site, the mayor said.
So far donations have included 70 full turn out gears, including coats, boots and helmets and some 70 air packs, the mayor told council at its meeting Monday evening.
Benn said the local department is donating a portable water pump and turnout gear.
“Some of the equipment people keep as a backup,” Benn said of procedures followed by some fire departments when they retire aging gear. “This is a way to thin this out.”
Tout said the cost of full turnout gear is about $7,000 per firefighter.
“We have brand new turnout gear from Shell Oil in Sarnia that failed the test for water and oil,” Tout said of one of the donors.
The equipment would work fine for the Sandy Lake department and its 16 volunteer firefighters.
“Their fire department just doesn’t get enough equipment,” Tout said of the remote northern community of 3,000 people.
He said the Sandy Lake fire chief has also indicated that additional equipment donated to his community will be shared with fire departments in two neighbouring communities. The chief will train volunteer firefighters in those communities on how to use the equipment.
Wellington North assisted Sandy Lake residents last year when forest fires forced them to evacuate their community. About 200 residents were housed at the Arthur arena and curling club for about a week.
Since then the township has continued contact with representatives of the Sandy Lake community and it was during one of their telephone calls that the request for equipment was made. Tout said he expects the equipment will be delivered by October.
