It’s out with the old, in with the new for Stony Mountain Rockwood Fire Department.
The department recently bolstered its fire-fighting abilities by updating some equipment on its grass fire unit.
They submitted a request to the RM of Rockwood to consider the replacement equipment in the municipality’s 2024 budget, and council approved the request.
In mid-September, they picked up an ultra high-pressure skid pack, which uses less water at a higher pressure. The previous system delivered about 90 to 100 pounds per square inch of pressure at about 150 to 200 gallons per minute. In contrast, this new rapid fire suppression system delivers 1,450 pound per square inch of pressure at 10 gallons per minute.
Tribune Photos by Jennifer McFee
“The science behind it is much different. Because we are using less water at a higher pressure, it’s a much more efficient way to attack fires,” said Fire Chief Marcel McIvor. “It knocks the fire down very aggressively.”
The department installed the new equipment in early October and it has responded since then.
“Our members notice right away the huge difference in the knockdown cabability on fires. It’s something that we’ve been looking at for a few years,” he said.
“In the United States, they’ve been using high-pressure systems and their testimonies support the huge advantages. It’s new technology to us and it all came in one nice skid pack.”
The new unit holds 125 gallons of water and 10 gallons of foam, which the fire department can adjust from 0.5 per cent to six per cent for additional wetting agent to cool the fires quickly.
“It’s very efficient yet very effective. It’s really a great addition to our frontline attack. It does a lot of great things that are very helpful in knocking fires down. Some of these units can even be used on vehicle fires as well as small structure fires. It’s not to replace the conventional way of fighting fires, but for initial cool or knockdown, it’s quite effective,” McIvor said.
“With our community in particular, with the expansion of residential homes, they’re getting bigger and closer together. We’re trying to beef things up for the future and this is a huge step for us, in my opinion, because of the additional abilities that it gives us. We also can be more effective to our neighbouring mutual aid departments in grass fire season.”
For McIvor, he’s grateful for the joint effort between the RM of Rockwood and the fire department.
“The RM has also supported us in upgrading the grass unit, beefing up the suspension, more visibility with additional reflective safety striping and bigger tires to handle wildland terrain,” he said.
“All our members are committed to the safety of our community. Having the right tools is essential. We are always moving forward to be better.”
At the same time, Rockwood Reeve Wes Taplin also expressed appreciation for the fire department and its members.
“We are part of three fire departments. Stony Mountain is all the RM of Rockwood. The other two are shared — one with the Town of Stonewall and the other with the Town of Teulon,” Taplin said.
“It’s nice when we’re able to get equipment like this. It will benefit our fire departments because they’re all volunteers. As long as the budget allows, we take every opportunity to make sure they’ve got the equipment they need. We are very fortunate to have our fire departments.”
