The town announced today that the Stoney-Nakoda fire department is in operation after a brief suspension.
“The Stoney Nakoda Nation has informed the Town of Cochrane that fire services on Stoney-Nakoda Nation continue to operate. Cochrane Fire Services remains as a mutual-aid partner. The Nation has advised Cochrane that measures are in place and that additional assistance should not be required, but if needed are greatly appreciated. The town apologizes for the misunderstanding about the operational status of the nation’s fire service.” the town stated in a news release..
Service from the Stoney-Nakoda fire department disbanded earlier this month when the fire chief resigned unexpectedly.
Prior to the chief’s resignation, the chronically underfunded fire department had only three firefighters and operated Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
As a result, it relied heavily on the Exshaw Fire Department as well as the Cochrane Fire Department to respond to emergencies.
Last year, the Exshaw Fire Department responded to at approximately 60 calls on the reserve. Twelve of those responses were for a possible structure fire, four of which were confirmed house fires leading to total losses, while another five were extinguished.
With files from Paul Clarke - Rocky Mountain Outlook.
