Photo: County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Services

By Shaun Penner

911 Reminder

County fire services reminding residents of importance of phoning 911 in emergencies

May 10, 2019 | 5:30 AM

County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Services are reminding people of the importance of phoning 911 directly in an emergency, following two fires this week that were quickly put out thanks to quick response.

The first happened around 8:24 Tuesday evening, where crews from the Clairmont and Dunes stations, as well as Sexsmith and Wembley Fire Departments responded to a fire at a church sanctuary. Crews found a fire coming from an HVAC unit on the roof and were able to put it out quickly.

The second happened around 11:15 Wednesday morning, where crews from Clairmont, Dunes and Bezanson fire stations, as well as Sexsmith and Wembley Fire Departments responded to a fire at a detached shop near Range Road 53 and Township Road 722. Fire and smoke were seen billowing out of the front window, and the fire was contained from spreading to other buildings and vegetation thanks to quick response. Neither fire resulted in any injuries.

Photo of the shop that caught fire near RR 53 and TR 722 on Wednesday morning. (Photo: County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Services)

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Without those parties involved dialling 911 right away, those stories could have been different according to Fire Chief for the County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Services Dan Verdun. He says that by not calling the emergency line right away, whatever situation you may be in can become more problematic.

“Which allows that incident to progress and grow and escalate and then potentially increases the potential damage, potential injury and it’s ability to go beyond its original footprint,” said Verdun. “It really just boils down to an adage that the sooner you call us, the sooner we’re able to get there… and the sooner we are able to action it.”

He notes many reasons why people may not call right away, including being concerned that it costs the caller money if they phone 911. Verdun says that isn’t the case.

“I can speak for fire specifically in the fact that there are very rare occasions where we would ever charge for a response and it certainly would not be predicated on somebody having an emergency,” said Verdun. “That is something we would like to dispel.”

Another reason Verdun has heard of is that they feel embarrassed or ashamed of the situation they have found themselves in. He emphasized that there is no situation that emergency crews wouldn’t take seriously.

Then there is the issue of people being unsure whether the situation they are in is in fact an emergency. Verdun says if there is any uncertainty, they shouldn’t waste anytime in calling 911.

“I’ve seen examples in my 25 years where people will try and call the fire department directly versus through 911, or they’ll call their friend to ask for advice, or they’ll call the neighbour,” said Verdun. “Those, albeit, maybe make you feel better, (but) are not bringing the appropriate resources and the trained responders to your incidents.”

Verdun and the rest of the Regional Fire Services department reiterate that in any emergency that every second counts, and you should immediately phone 911.