The City of Cold Lake says a pair of contracts for new firefighting equipment have been awarded.
The contracts are part of the 2020 Capital Budget, and include the purchase of a “new triple-combination pumper, along with communications equipment that will allow the service to use the Alberta First Responders Radio Communication System (AFRRCS).”
“We are extremely proud of our Fire-Rescue service and what its members achieve, and Council is happy to support them through a well-planned capital investment strategy that has made these equipment purchases possible,” Mayor Craig Copeland said. “Between Cold Lake Fire-Rescue’s training, equipment and maintenance, along with the city’s supporting infrastructure including fire hydrants and water flow, Fire-Rescue has long achieved and maintained the highest insurance rating available to paid-on-call services. That’s a credit to their hard work and the community’s support for the excellent service they provide.”
The new triple-combination pumper will replace a 2005 pumper truck which the city says is coming to the end of its service life. Delivery of the unit is expected in January 2022, with the current Pumper 4 remaining in service until that time. The contract was awarded to Fort Garry Fire Trucks with a project cost estimated at $710,000
The AFRRCS is a two-way radio system used by first responders in municipal, provincial and First Nations agencies across Alberta. The system was first launched in 2016, but the city says it opted to wait before adopting it, to ensure any bugs had been worked out.
The project cost of roughly $230,000 will provide Cold Lake Fire-Rescue with the infrastructure, hand-held radio units and pagers needed for the entire fire service, as well as the City’s Community Peace Officers.
“Our Council has shown consistent commitment to the men and women of Cold Lake Fire-Rescue, just as they have shown consistent dedication to our community and our neighbours,” Copeland said. “Cold Lake Fire-Rescue is a point of pride for our residents as we all appreciate the professionalism and dedication its members bring to their service.”
Cold Lake Fire-Rescue has a staff of four full-time personnel and about 60 paid-on-call firefighters and serves the City of Cold Lake, a large portion of the Municipal District of Bonnyville, and Cold Lake First Nations, with occasional responses into Saskatchewan.