Community Spirit Grant 2009-2010
Last year we applied for funding to assist us in purchasing additional emergency equipment to
assist us in making rescues faster and more efficient. This was very important to our community
as we are growing and the need for current tools is a necessity. We had a set of priorities and a
list of necessary purchases that we had thought through as a team for a long time. We were
extremely excited and thankful that this funding came through as it provided us with the much
needed assistance in purchasing imperative equipment.
We spent $4824.75 on Rescue 42 struts to assist us in many facets, the main priority being
MVC’s. Prior to this purchase we would use a 6 foot long 4x4 that needed to be assembled into
a metal plate with a ratchet strap. This process was long and tedious especially when time is of
the essence. It wasn’t long before we were called out to an MVC and we were able to see the
benefit first hand. A pickup truck had rear ended another pickup truck at full highway speed and
was resting dangerously on what was left of the rear axle. We were able to deploy these struts in
less than 2 minutes and stabilize the truck allowing us to extricate the 2 passengers safely.
Our second priority was rope rescue equipment which we purchased for $4322.19. Gibbons is
located adjacent to a beautiful ravine with the Sturgeon River flowing through the base. There
are walking trails that wind throughout the forest as well as quad trails and tobogganing hills and
it’s not rare to see canoes or kayaks in the water during the summer months. Since acquiring this
equipment we have brought in an instructor to certify the fire department in low angle rescue.
We see this as imperative as some of the areas within the river valley could only be accessed by
water or belay. Since we are not certified for water rescue we are now able to access potential
victims from above with the use of ropes.
As we are a volunteer department, we are neighbors and friends to those we help. These pieces
of equipment have allowed us as a department to feel confident that we are providing the best
possible care for the members of our community as these make our job safer and efficient. We
would like to thank the government of Alberta for providing us with the opportunity to improve
and to keep on improving our services.
Gibbons Fire Department
Phone (780)
923-2775
Fax (780) 923-3309
Email: chief@gibbons.ca
Drop by Tuesdays @ 7:00 p.m.
