🚔🚒 Busy Heritage Day for Sundre’s RCMP & Fire Dept! From break-ins to fire ban calls, our local heroes were on it! 💪 #Sundre #Olds #Alberta #CommunitySafety #HeritageDay
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A Busy Heritage Day Weekend for Sundre RCMP and Fire Department
The Heritage Day long weekend is one of the last chances for Albertans to enjoy the summer, and while many took advantage of the warm weather, Sundre’s emergency services were kept on their toes. Both the local RCMP and Fire Department reported a mix of steady activity and relief, with the police responding to numerous calls and the fire department handling a few incidents, all while being thankful for an otherwise quiet holiday period.
RCMP Respond to a "Steady" Volume of Calls
The Sundre RCMP had a busy time over the Heritage Day weekend, with officers receiving 28 calls for service from Friday, August 2nd, to Monday, August 5th. Cpl. Courtney Harding, the interim commander of the Sundre detachment, described the weekend as "steady," indicating that while it wasn’t overwhelming, there was plenty to keep the officers occupied.
Among the various calls, one notable incident involved a pair of rural break-ins. During a routine patrol in the rural area west of Sundre, an officer caught two men red-handed as they emerged from a compressor site building. The suspects, both from Red Deer, did not resist arrest and were taken into custody without incident. Charges are pending, but Cpl. Harding noted that it may take some time before they are officially sworn.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated incident. The trend of oil lease sites being targeted continues to be a problem in the region. Copper wire thefts, in particular, have been on the rise, causing significant issues for rural central Alberta. The theft of copper wire from these sites not only disrupts operations but also poses a risk to the safety of workers and the general public.
Fire Department's Quiet but Eventful Weekend
While the RCMP were busy, the Sundre Fire Department had what Chief Ross Clews described as a "fairly uneventful" weekend—a positive outcome for any fire department. Over the four days, they responded to just four calls, none of which involved motor vehicle collisions or major fires.
One of the calls was a false alarm at a local business, a place that the department has been called to multiple times before. According to Chief Clews, the business has a history of false alarms, which usually occur when the monitoring company is unable to reach the owner and subsequently calls 911. In this particular instance, Chief Clews was able to contact the owner directly and confirm that it was indeed a false alarm, allowing the fire crew to stand down before even arriving on the scene.
While false alarms can be frustrating, especially when they occur repeatedly at the same location, Sundre currently has no bylaws or regulations that would allow the fire department to bill owners for the time and resources spent responding to these incidents. As it stands, the department simply has to deal with each call as it comes, though they have developed the habit of confirming with the owner before responding to this particular business.
Fire Ban and Other Incidents
Another call that the Sundre Fire Department responded to involved a breach of the ongoing fire ban in Mountain View County and Sundre. The ban, which wasn’t lifted until Tuesday, August 6th, was in place due to dry conditions that made the risk of wildfires particularly high. The incident involved a man using a wood-burning camp stove within town limits, unaware of the fire ban. Fortunately, the fire was minor, and the man quickly extinguished it and apologized when informed of the ban.
Chief Clews emphasized that there were no issues with the incident, as the man had just lit the stove and it hadn’t even really started when someone noticed it and called 911. The department responded promptly, but the situation was resolved without any further action needed.
In addition to these incidents, the Sundre Fire Department also responded to two medical first response calls in Mountain View County. By the end of the long weekend, the department’s year-to-date call volume had reached 263, a significant increase from the 211 calls they had responded to by the same time in 2023.
Reflections on a Tragic Loss
The long weekend was also a time for reflection, as the firefighting community mourned the loss of a young firefighter who died battling a wildfire in Jasper National Park. With two members of the Sundre Fire Department serving full-time summer positions with Alberta Wildfire, the tragedy hit close to home. Chief Clews expressed his condolences, noting the inherent dangers of the job and the profound impact such losses have on the entire emergency services community.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Chief Clews said, underscoring the risks that firefighters and other emergency responders face every day.
Conclusion
As the summer winds down, the efforts of Sundre’s emergency services serve as a reminder of the vital roles they play in keeping the community safe. The Sundre RCMP and Fire Department worked diligently over the Heritage Day long weekend, handling everything from rural break-ins to medical emergencies and fire ban enforcement. While the fire department was thankful for a relatively quiet few days, the steady call volume for the RCMP and the ongoing challenges faced by both departments highlight the importance of their work and the continued need for vigilance and support from the community.