ALBERTA FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION the an Interview
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GTHEazette ALBERTA FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION Fall/Winter 2011 An Interview With Minister Doug Griffiths Women Can Do It! Where is Longview? Who is on the Scene First? Fall/Winter 2011 | 1 Dear Friends, the fire emergency in Slave Lake last spring. Your efforts clearly showed the impact our network of professionals It is great to send you a note with this second edition of can have. It was a job well done. The Gazette in its new format. We have received great reviews from both fire chiefs and advertisers. We also We are already planning the next AGM scheduled for are distributing the magazine to all fire departments June 10 through June 13 in Edmonton at the Mayfield in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Inn and Convention Centre. Our golf tournament will Columbia—that is good news for advertisers. be held on June 9. Why don’t you surprise us and register early—it will make planning and organizing Please share your copy of The Gazette. We have found much easier. In any case, we want to see you there. If that very few fire personnel have seen the first edition. you are considering a resolution please contact Chief We especially thank the Edmonton and Calgary fire Randy Schroeder in Mayerthorpe. Resolutions must be departments for distributing copies to all their halls. submitted by April 10 so they can be posted on the We will be asking other large fire departments to do AFCA website by April 26, 2012. For more details about the same. If you are in a smaller department and want the AGM see the notice in this magazine or visit the more than one copy, please let us know. AFCA website. Since our annual meeting we have been busy. As always, I would like to hear from you. If you have Unfortunately we have not received a response to ideas or suggestions about this publication or about any the three resolutions we passed and forwarded to AFCA matter just call or send me an email. government. Perhaps that will change with the new Minister of Municipal Affairs, Doug Griffiths. Bill Purdy Executive Director, Alberta Fire Chiefs Association On behalf of our association, I want to express a sincere Deputy Chief thanks and recognition to all those that responded to Wabamun Fire Department 2 | The Gazette GTHEazette ALBERTA FIRE CHIEFS ASSOCIATION CONTENTS The Gazette is the official publication of the Alberta 4 From the Publisher Fire Chiefs Association. The magazine is published twice a year, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. 5 An Interview With Minister Doug Griffiths The publication is distributed free of charge to emergency services personnel throughout Alberta, 8 Alberta Fire Chiefs Association Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. In President’s 2011 Fall Update addition, The Gazette is distributed to urban and rural municipalities, Members of the Legislative 12 Wild Rose Fire Fighter Assembly and other organizations with an interest in fire and related emergency services. 14 Women Can Do It! Publication Mail Agreement: 40065432 18 Scenes of Convention 2011 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 20 Where’s Longview? Rose Country Advertising & Public Relations 11904 -113 Avenue 24 Partnerships Benefit Northeast Edmonton, Alberta Alberta Region Canada T5G 3C2 30 Who is on the Scene First? Phone: 1.800.661.4278 Fax: 780.452.2890 32 The Chevron Dilemma!...”to Retrofit or Email: [email protected] Not to Retrofit?” Publisher/Editor Brian Stecyk [email protected] Advertising Sales Kelley Johnston [email protected] Creative Director Margaret Horton [email protected] Copyright 2011, RC and AFCA. All rights reserved. Cover Photo: Firefighter Danica Dach of the Edson & District Fire The contents of this publication may not be Department competing in the SCOTT FireFit Championships in Edson, Alberta. Photo courtesy of Giles Merriott. reproduced by any means in whole or in part Giles Merriott is a freelance photographer based in Alberta, Canada. For over 25 years, photography has as allowed him access to many different locations, venues, people, and without the expressed written consent of the personalities. Although he specializes in event and editorial photography, Giles always aims publisher or the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association. to capture the moment using a diverse range of photographic styles and tools. Copyright 2011 Giles Merriott. Visit: www.365photography.com Fall/Winter 2011 | 3 From the Publisher We have received I want to personally thank all the fire fighters we met an exceptionally over the summer. Wherever we went we were greeted positive response warmly and no one ever turned down an interview from fire chiefs and or photograph. I also enjoyed the SCOTT FireFit advertisers to our competition in Edson—there are some amazing athletes first edition of The among the men and women of the fire departments. Gazette. Most like the new format and If you have ideas about articles or would like to write the attractiveness of one, just let us know. If you don’t think you are a great the publication. The writer we can help—just ask. And remember to support magazine was sent to our advertisers because they are supporting you. all fire departments in Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Brian Stecyk One of our challenges is to find a way for more people to read the publication. Some fire fighters said the magazine never leaves the Chief’s office. In Edmonton and Calgary the fire departments circulated numerous copies to every fire hall to ensure as many people as possible had a chance to read it. We will be contacting other large fire departments to see if they will do that too. If you want more copies just ask and we will get them to you. Please share. 4 | The Gazette An Interview with Minister Doug Griffiths By Brian Stecyk The following interview took place on November 29, 2011 Gazette: Minister Griffiths thank you for agreeing to Minister Griffiths: The morning after the swearing- be interviewed for the fall/winter issue of The Gazette. in ceremony, I asked Premier Redford if she agreed What are your initial observations now that you have with me travelling to Slave Lake. Her response was, been appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs for “Can you leave this afternoon?” I went to Slave Lake Alberta? the next day. I wanted to see how the recovery efforts were going and to assure the people of Slave Lake that Minister Griffiths: I love it. Although I have always our commitment to them would not be changing with enjoyed being elected and working at the legislature the new Premier and Cabinet. I went back 10 days later on behalf of my constituents and Albertans, this new with Premier Redford, Fred Horne, Minister of Health responsibility gives me a challenge and opportunity and Wellness, and MLA Pearl Calahasen. to really make a difference. The merging of housing with Municipal Affairs puts a new perspective on the We met with the Tri-Council and with EMS personnel. portfolio. I, also, love having the responsibility for We toured the community and saw the rebuilding emergency services because it is something I really efforts, the interim housing and the great efforts believe in. the people of Slave Lake have undertaken to get their community back to normal. They are doing an Gazette: What was the first thing you did after being incredible job and the Alberta Government is strongly appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs? behind them. Fall/Winter 2011 | 5 Gazette: What were your next steps? farm—help wasn’t available in minutes. We had to be prepared to take care of ourselves. Minister Griffiths: Shortly after returning from Slave Lake I toured the Provincial Operations Centre. I would like to see people understand that EMS is there Unfortunately most Albertans have never heard of the to help with things that we can’t plan for instead of Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA)—they for things we could have prepared for. If people took just assume emergency response will be available when action to prepare, we could better use resources for real they need it. emergencies. Gazette: What are your preliminary goals relating to Gazette: When you were running for the leadership emergency services? of the Progressive Conservative Association, you often talked about cooperation. How could that be reflected Minister Griffiths: A real concern to me is how with emergency services? little Albertans do to prepare for emergencies. We have to educate them about the need to prepare as Minister Griffiths: When I met with AEMA, I was well as how to prepare. Most people take emergency surprised to learn that there is no inventory list of services for granted and do not realize they also have a emergency equipment. Apparently when there is an participatory role. emergency, the call goes out to find out what various agencies can provide. To me, it makes a lot more sense Too often provincial and local emergency service to know what is available and who to call to get it. We providers are called out to help people with need to remove barriers to inter-municipal and inter- emergencies that would not have been emergencies agency cooperation. We just don’t have the money to had the people been prepared. Things like, stored be inefficient. drinking water, warm clothes in a vehicle, a back-up plan for a power-outage, or even some candles could Gazette: One of the feature articles in this issue of go a long way to making our lives safer. The Gazette is about cooperation between industry and municipalities in Northeastern Alberta. Imperial In my own truck, I have two complete emergency Oil Resources and Canadian Natural Resources have kits.