The Sidney Volunteer Fire Department’s Engine 605 truck is back at the local Community Safety Building after 53 consecutive days of wildfire deployment.
The vehicle left Sidney on July 20 and was used to help fight wildfires in Kamloops, Cranbrook, Sparwood, Adams Lake, Lillooet and other locations.
“We’re proud to answer the call when it comes to wildfire response,” Sidney Volunteer Fire Department Chief Brett Mikkelsen said. “You’re also not just up there putting out fires and protecting infrastructure. It becomes a heightened environment as people are away from their homes and their livelihoods. The stresses that residents face add another dimension to your response.”
Engine 605 was staffed with fire department members from North Saanich, Sidney and Christina Lake, who were deployed for 14 days at a time.
“I really like to cycle people out and get people home because it’s a long stint,” Mikkelsen said. “I’m very proud of all the crews because 53 days is a considerable accomplishment. They had some challenging times. That can be quite taxing.”
Crews worked days and nights on shifts that were 12 hours or longer.
“The long days can be mentally draining,” Mikkelsen said.
The Sidney Volunteer Fire Department maintained their staffing levels 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“We were only able to do that without issues because we could work with our neighbours in North Saanich and our friends in Christina Lake,” Mikkelsen said. “There’s also holidays and people are away.”
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