It is what it is…

By Marc Chayer

First and foremost, welcome to those Fort McMurray families who have come to Whitecourt in relation to the events that have affected their hometown. We sincerely hope you will find that of all the places in Alberta you could have gone to, this is the friendliest and most helpful.

Wildfire

With recent events in mind, coupled with the memories of Slave Lake, the word wildfire takes on a meaning in Alberta that few other jurisdictions can understand.

With a background in firefighting, I have seen more than my share of these types of fires. They are hugely destructive as we all know. For those charged with trying to stop them or put them out, I have often referred to fighting these fires as trying to stop a blizzard with a baseball glove.

However, once they occur, particularly in this province, I have often found myself frustrated at the reluctance of public bodies to call on private organizations to lend assistance. When one thinks of fire protection in Whitecourt for instance, we tend to think of our local fire service and, by extension, SRD. Overall, they do admirable work often without the headlines or notice by the general public.

But… when things get out of hand, local public services can be overwhelmed quickly and the need to mobilize additional resources becomes the name of the game. Manpower and equipment are often found lacking as assets are sought out in other areas and moved to the event that is underway.

In my past life, I served as an Emergency Response Team leader for a private company. At our disposal was a vast variety of equipment including fire trucks, medical units including ambulances and a host of other supporting items including radios, breathing air equipment, and the like.

In addition to the equipment were the professional firefighters, emergency medical technicians, responders, and the like who were trained to provincial standards. What makes them unique to a certain degree is that “off road” capabilities are the norm. The companies involved in this type of work, along with the professionals who staff them are actually quite used to going out into the middle of nowhere to support oilfield operations.

The oilfield and the province

So, the point of frustration for me is that, while events unfolded in Fort McMurray, we heard reports that the federal government was working to mobilize military assets. We saw the arrival of out-of-province and Mexican firefighters to augment our own provincial firefighters, all the while, in Whitecourt alone, there were (by my count) no less than 12 fire trucks with staff ready to respond if asked!

In one conversation I had with a local manager of one of these services, he stated his frustration while watching the events unfold. “If we had been asked, we could have been in Fort Mac in five hours,” hardly the days it took to mobilize federal and international assets.

Now, don’t get me wrong, wildland/forest fires are long, drawn-out battles. In most cases, SRD-type firefighters are well equipped to work these fires. But, in cases where a municipality is threatened or, in fact, burning, I struggle with the hesitation or outright ignorance of the assets this province has within easy reach.

It is simply scandalous!

We hear of the need to organize logistics to get people the help they need as soon as possible. What government or emergency planners don’t realize is that when it comes to getting logistics moving, the oilfield community will put a military deployment to shame.

In the “oil patch” major producers and, by extension, the supply and service companies not only know how to move, but know how to do it quickly. I have been on “jobs” where at 3 a.m. there is nothing and by 2 p.m. the same day, a camp is in place along with everything needed to not only support a job but the people on it.

The oilfield workers are pros in getting into where they need to be and supporting the work as well as ensuring that front line equipment is in place.

In short, the template exists and is used daily by industry who know what companies do what and where they are. In the case of Fort Mac, there is simply no reason why we could not move people and equipment, particularly in this economic climate. If one looks to social media, you will find thousands of workers and hundreds of companies screaming to assist Fort Mac, often with no expectations of payment.

Locally, we have many “safety service” providers. Names like HSE Integrated, Safety Boss, Fire Power, Nu Venture, and Scott Safety all have a presence here that includes people and equipment. My hope is that if ever we are faced with wildfire threatening our town, our local government will remember that within these providers are professionals who call Whitecourt home and would come to the aid of the town, their town!

Perhaps someone in Edmonton will also arrive at this conclusion.

It is what it is…

NOTE: We got your back, Fort Mac!

On Friday, May 13 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Brogan Safety Supply located at 3478 – 33^rd Street will be hosting a barbecue fundraiser with proceeds going to the Red Cross in support of Fort McMurray.

Come on down, make a donation, and get some free food. Times are tough, but Albertans are tougher!