Fire coverage change in RM of Ste Anne

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/01/2024 (339 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The hope is for faster or equal response times while saving $20,000 for the RM of Ste Anne.

Areas that were covered by the Steinbach Fire Department are now covered by either La Broquerie or Hanover’s Blumenort hall as of Jan. 1.

“When the Blumenort fire station came into function [in 2019], we put on paper that they were closer as a response unit to some of our RM residents than other areas,” said Deputy Reeve Randy Eros.

He said that sparked a fire review, which is normally done every few years anyway.

The RM already had agreements with the Town of Ste Anne and La Broquerie for areas not covered by the Richer fire hall. Giroux has a tanker that chips in.

Now Hanover’s Blumenort hall will cover a small area of just over four square miles north of Provincial Road 311 and west of Provincial Road 210. La Broquerie expands its coverage to everything south of or along the 311. The Town of Ste Anne continues covering Giroux and the surrounding area east of 210, and everything north of Road 41N and west of 40E.

“The ultimate goal of fire control is to have quick response,” said Eros.

It took a few years to review using the new Blumenort hall.

“We chose to do the review over their first couple of years of operation so that they would be comfortable deciding what they could do, because it’s an invitation, right, to cover this area,” explained Eros.

Mutual aid agreements with its neighbours mean the Richer department is ready to help out, and the fire protection boundaries do not limit calling in extra reinforcements if needed.