Killarney Guide

Lunch donations all going towards new Jaws of Life for fire department

BY KIM LANGEN

The chance to finally relish the fabulous new fire hall in town – and enjoy a hot dog and cake in the process – is coming up tomorrow, Saturday, October 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It’s the Fire Hall Grand Opening day, and it has been a long time coming.

“I’m excited that we can finally show the community what this town has to offer, and to see inside the new facility,” said Killarney–Turtle Mountain Fire Department Chief Troy Cuvelier. “I’m proud of our fire department. We are very well equipped. This is a chance to celebrate all that.”

Cuvelier said that conditions had improved greatly for the 21 members in his fire crew, since moving into the impressive new fire hall on South Railway Street in the spring of 2020.

“There is spacious room for training now,” he said. “The location is great. It’s easy to get out of town, and there is no traffic to deal with, like we had on Main Street. And it’s a dry environment; we have in-floor heating. Our equipment is dry the next day after we have used it.”

Cuvelier added that the big party on Saturday will also serve as a backdrop for introducing a new fire hall goal.

“We are looking at replacing our Jaws of Life,” said the chief. “Saturday’s event is also a chance to jump-start some new fundraising. Our old set is at least 20 years old, and weighs over 50 pounds. We are looking at a holmatro rescue tool, a Jaws of Life, with four components: a cutter, a spreader, a ram, and a combo cutter-spreader.

It’s cordless, and battery operated; it’s lightweight, and you don’t need gas like the old ones do. And it has more power, with gear reduction. It’s self-containing, without the need to run a hydraulic line, and it’s better all round. Plus it only weighs around 28 pounds. All the money raised on Saturday will go towards this purchase.”

The new jaws will run around $60,000, and to see just how hard they bite, a holmatro company employee is coming to town in a few weeks to show off the power of the tools, he added.

“On Saturday, October 23, a rep will be in Killarney, and he will be demonstrating the Jaws of Life here, next to the fire hall, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone is invited to watch the demo that day,” said Cuvelier. “We hope people will come to watch. It should be pretty interesting.”

Ribbon cutting for tomorrow’s grand opening for the new fire hall is scheduled for 1 p.m., and the chief said that fire trucks will be lined up outside the hall, ready to roll for fun rides around the town.

It will be quite an event, and a great chance to see the magnificent fire fighting trucks – gleaming with chrome and shiny paint – up close and personal. 

And soon another vehicle will be added to their ranks.

“We have our brush truck on order now,” said Cuvelier. “It’s a Ford F-350 Super Duty chassis truck, and it should be on its way to us in a couple of months.”

Fortunately, callouts were light this past hot summer, despite the long-standing and extreme fire risk levels, he added.

 “We were quiet,” said Cuvelier. “We had one hog barn fire, a couple of motor vehicle accidents, and one hydro pole that was ignited because of old wire.”

And while membership is good at the fire hall, there is room for a few more fire fighters on the team, he said.

“We do have openings for a couple more fire fighters – men or women,” said Cuvelier. “They can contact me by text for more information, at 204-534-8065.”

GOING FOR THE GREEN – Fire Chief Troy Cuvelier (above) hopes to jump-start fundraising during this Saturday’s Grand Opening event for the new fire hall, in order to acquire new Jaws of Life for the fire fighters. He’s sitting next to the fire truck compartment with the current hefty ones, which are over 20 years old, and is holding the catalogue that displays a modern new set.

WELCOME TO THE NEW FIRE HALL – This Saturday, October 2, is the long-awaited grand opening of the municipality’s new fire hall. Fire Chief Troy Cuvelier hopes to see a great turnout to the big event. Behind him are some of the fire trucks that visitors will be able to enjoy a ride in – don’t know about the sirens yet. Ribbon cutting is at 1 p.m., and revenues from the hot dog lunch will help fundraise for new Jaws of Life.

KIM LANGEN/KILLARNEY GUIDE