NIPAWIN — Overall, the Nipawin Fire Department responded to 179 calls in 2024, according to a report to Nipawin's town council.
Paul Cockell, GM of Protective Services and Fire Chief, said in his annual report, “Alarm calls were still the highest percentage of calls at 26 per cent of the incidents. We did see a decrease of one per cent from 2023.”The majority of their calls were for security alarms, with 47 alarms, three carbon monoxide (CO) false alarms, and one malicious call.
There were 25 motor vehicle collisions and 13 structure fires. There were 40 non-structure fires, which included grass and bush fires.
There were 15 service calls, which involved assisting EMS and the RCMP. These calls ranged from wellness checks to odour and other investigations. Eighteen calls were for downed utilities, such as powerlines or gas leaks, were also recorded.
The total cost for man-hours related to false alarm calls was $34,248.
Cockell’s report added, “The majority of MVCs [motor vehicle collisions] were due to inattention. Animal strikes, weather conditions, speed and alcohol accounted for the remainder.”
In 2024, there was one fatal structure fire in January. Cockell said, “This is a sobering moment for any department, regardless of the years of experience of the members.” No official cause was determined.
Nuisance fires were the fastest-growing category, as many residents burned garbage and other prohibited items, abandoned fires or deliberately set blazes throughout town, Cockell said.
June was the busiest month of the year, with Father’s Day seeing a storm that accounted for six calls for downed powerlines and trees.
“The department handed out Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association (CVFSA) awards to Captain Darcy McKinnon for 23 years of service, Bob Hosaluk for 31 years, and Captain Trevor Rehaluk for 35 years,” said Cockell.
The northeast experienced harsher weather in 2024, including plow winds. Carrot River had its busiest year on record with 112 calls, while La Ronge also set a record with 301 calls.
