RMES needs your help
A recent fire destroyed our back hall and 4 vehicles. We need our community’s help to rebuild.
On December 17th tones dropped for a structure fire in Redwood Meadows Emergency Services’ back hall. The fire quickly became fully involved.
Despite the heroic efforts of more than 30 firefighters from Redwood Meadows Emergency Services and Rocky View County Fire Services, the 4-bay back hall and its contents were destroyed. The building contained equipment used to support emergency responses, including: an older fire engine, a water tender truck, a bush buggy, a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) and SCBA air bottle refilling station. Other early known losses include the emergency equipment on the trucks, additional emergency equipment, extra turnout gear, training equipment, RMES’ Training Centre and grass fire water containment units. An independent fire investigation will take place, and the findings will be shared.
The Redwood Meadows Emergency Services’ front hall, which houses 220 Engine, 120 Rapid Response, 120 Rescue, member response gear and offices, was not impacted by the fire. Redwood Meadows Emergency Services remains operational and read to respond.
Redwood Meadows Emergency Services is doing a thorough audit of our equipment inventory and will be working with the insurance company to provide a full list of losses. It will take time to replace 120 Engine and 120 Tender, which both RMES and our partners rely on to support emergency response. Our immediate need is for donations of a new or gently used pickup truck to replace the one lost that supported grassfire and working fire operations, as well as a UTV, which supported grassfire responses and an average of 100 backcountry rescues annually. We can’t do their work without them.
RMES is used to being the “helper”, not asking for help. We are humbly asking for the community’s support to help us rebuild what was lost in the back hall fire so we can continue to deliver emergency service excellence to the Redwood Meadows and greater Bragg Creek area.
What
Happened?
What was lost in the fire?
120 Engine
120 Engine (120EN) is a custom-built, commercial cab Pierce Contender multi-cab that carries 4,546 liters of water. 120 Engine responds as a backup for 220 Engine and is often used as a spare Rescue when 120 Rescue is in the shop.
Here's some of its unique features:
- Custom-built - We have over 150 years of experience within our officer team which informed the design of this fire truck using industry best practices.
- a Mid-mount enclosed pump panel - This gives pump operators a better view of the fire scene and keeps them out of inclement weather during firefighting operations, allowing them to focus on running the truck.
- Color coded hose - Each set of hoses on 120EN is color coded to match an origin on the pump panel. The pump operator just looks at the hose color to know which hose line they are supplying water to 6o Federal Q2 siren - 120 Engine has the original siren that came off the now retired "Squrt".
- Operates as our rural water supply truck with portable pumps capable of pumping large volumes of water from a water source such as a lake or pond
Backcountry UTV
This was our side-by-side off-road rescue unit (a Polaris 6x6).
Purpose: This unit was vital for getting deep into the trail systems where even the Bush Buggy couldn't fit. We used it extensively for medical rescues on hiking or biking trails and for assisting Kananaskis Mountain Rescue.
Capability: It was nimble, capable of carrying a patient in a stokes basket or hauling gear for technical rescues. It also carried a small amount of water for spot fires in deep woods. Losing this takes away our rapid access to injured hikers or mountain bikers in the dense forest.
120 Tender
120 Tender is a Pierce Dry-side Water Tender that carries 11,365 liters of water. Built by Pierce Manufacturing in Florida, 120 Tender responds to calls for RMES and our partners where supplementary water may be required. Delivered in 2011, 120 Tender carries two firefighters.
Some of features include:
- 2 - 11,365 litre portable tanks to allow water tenders to drop water with the attack engine and leave quickly to get more water - an essential strategy for firefighting in areas without hydrants.
- 4,000 litre per minute (LPM) pump that is tested annually
- Two high volume portable pumps - capable of getting water from a lake or river that we can't get the truck close to.
- A rear dump valve that can completely empty all 11,365L of water in to a portable tank in just over two minutes.
- A "deck gun" or master stream above the pump panel, capable of flowina 2.000LPM onto a fire.
Bush Buggy
This was a specialized wildland firefighting unit (built on a Chevy Silverado chassis).
Purpose: We called this a "bush buggy" because it could go where the heavy engines couldn't. It was designed for grass fires, brush fires, and navigating the rough terrain around Redwood and Bragg Creek.
Capability: It was a lighter, 4x4 pickup outfitted with a "skid unit"—a small tank and pump in the bed. It allowed us to "pump and roll" (spray water while driving) along the flanks of a wildfire, which is critical during the dry season.
While the “front hall” is where our offices and first due trucks sit, the back hall contained critical equipment for supporting emergency responses, extra gear (turn out gear, helmets, boots, hoods, gloves), CPR training gear.
Description: This was a 4-bay functional apparatus building that housed our water tanker, secondary engine and specialized off-road fleet. It also housed RMES’ training centre, a boardroom where Tuesday night training cognitive lessons were held and a fully equipped emergency command centre, RMES’ member gym where members worked out regularly to maintain fire fitness and the SCBA air compressor.
The SCBA air compressor was the "lungs" of our station; it allowed us to fill air bottles immediately after a fire so crews were ready for the next call. Without it, we are reliant on our partners to refill our air tanks.
The Back Hall
Equipment
Replacing trucks is one thing, but sourcing and re-stocking hundreds of specific tools that make those trucks functional - from axes to wildfire nozzles - is a massive undertaking. We also lost the extensive equipment inventories housed on all the trucks.
Equipment we need to replace includes:
SCBA compressor, Jaws of Life, Water rescue equipment, Grass fire equipment, UTV, Rescue Equipment related to UTV, mechanic tools, hose testing equipment, lighting equipment, portable pumps, generators.
How can you help?
We are lucky that our local community has sent many messages offering support. Here’s how you can help us right now:
Make a Financial donation
Every amount will help RMES rebuild what was lost in the back hall fire.
Organise a fundraiser
Raise funds at your business or with your family and friends and donate the funds to Redwood Meadows Firefighters Association. Together we can do this!
Inter fire department donations
RMES lost all of the emergency response equipment onboard 120 Engine, 120TE, the bush buggy and UTV in our back hall fire. We also lost extra turnout gear, helmets, boots and training equipment. If your fire department has certified gear or emergency response equipment in good condition that you’re able to donate, let us know!
Join the ‘keep me in mind’ list
RMES will be a whole of community effort. As we rebuild the back hall and replace critical emergency equipment, we know we’ll have need for expertise along the way. If you have a skill you want to donate to the cause (you can logo wrap our new vehicles, you can weld emergency equipment to the back of a new UTV etc.), drop your contact information on the list. As we identify needs, we’ll review the list first and reach out if we need to.
Get in Touch
As a busy volunteer fire station, we must balance responding to public inquiries about fundraising around other duties.
If you have a donation question or feel like you can assist with one of the items above, please submit the contact form.