A donation from Enbridge Gas will help add to the West Nipissing Fire Department’s training arsenal.
Enbridge has been partnering with the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Public Fire Safety Council for some time now, and each year they give generously to support local fire departments. ON Thursday, Nov. 21, an Enbridge representative stopped by the West Nipissing Fire & Emergency Service with a gift.
Kerstin Phinney, an administrative assistant with Enbridge Gas, said, “At Enbridge, safety is at the centre of everything we do and a value we live by. We are committed to providing emergency response training support to Ontario firefighters so they can continually learn, improve, and protect the vibrant and healthy communities they call home.”
This year’s $125,000 investment from Enbridge Gas will be shared by 25 Ontario fire departments, including West Nipissing Fire & Emergency Service. Funds are used to purchase educational materials to assist in training firefighters in life-saving techniques. It’s all a part of the Safe Community Project Assist, which was formed in 2012.
See: Enbridge donates carbon monoxide detectors to save lives in East Ferris
The West Nipissing Fire Department is putting its share of the gift towards new training manuals for firefighters. These manuals are from the International Fire Service Training Association, and they cost around $115 each.
John McBeth, Acting Ontario Fire Marshal, noted, “Fire departments train every single day and that’s why it’s important for them to have access to the right materials to keep their members and the public safe. Safe Community Project Assist helps departments afford some of these training tools and improves the ongoing learning that occurs across Ontario.”
Fire Chief Loeffen added the new manuals and training resources will help “meet current and future safety and service needs” for both the firefighters and the community.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
