Your fire department has been busier than usual this past month with ten incidents to report:
At 8:36 in the evening on October 22 members responded to a Mutual Aid call from Sylvan Lake Fire Department for a structure fire in their area. Crews with Bentley’s Tender spent several hours shuttling water to the scene.
On October 23 firefighters were called out to Bentley Elementary School to investigate a call of alarms ringing. Firefighter Steve Lush was already on scene and confirmed a false alarm; a student had activated a fire alarm pull station in the gym. The BFD was stood down.
On October 28 at 10:38 a.m. nine members rushed to 50th Street in town where a single vehicle had hit some ice and slid off the road and smacked into a tree. The three occupants were taken into a neighbors home to stay warm while awaiting fire crews and EMS. All three were examined at the scene and all three made the trip to hospital while fire crews cleaned up spilled fluids.
On October 30 at 7:39 a.m. crews were sent to Aspelund Road, just west of Woody Nook Road where an unfortunate motorist had collided with a moose. Traffic control was quickly established while EMS tended to the single patient who ended up with very minor injuries. The moose was not nearly so lucky and was DOA.
Fourteen members answered a Mutual Aid call on October 30, shortly after noon, this time to assist Eckville with a structure fire in their area. This turned out to be a cooking incident and confirmed false alarm and Bentley was stood down en route.
About suppertime on November 5 thirteen members were sent to another Mutual Aid call, this time for Eckville FD for a structure fire in their area. A grain-drying building was ablaze and Bentley’s Engine, Tender and Rescue were on route. The three trucks were nearly on scene when EFD got the fire under control and the BFD was stood down.
On the morning of November 9 crews were sent to an alarms call in Gull Lake Village where a cooking incident had reportedly set off a smoke alarm. Engine still responded (cold) to the call; upon further investigation this turned out to be the homeowner’s first use of a recently cleaned wood-burning fireplace. No smoke, odour or fire was detected so firefighters returned back to the hall.
Shortly before noon on November 10 twelve members were sent to an MVA on Aspelund Road and RR 1-2. A northbound vehicle slid into the intersection, striking a vehicle heading east. Both drivers were out and walking when the BFD arrived so traffic control was quickly established to ensure everyone’s safety and the patients were examined by EMS. The roadway was cleaned up of spilled fluids while RCMP conducted their investigation. Fortunately neither driver was badly injured and Bentley was released from the scene.
On November 12 at 6:03 (suppertime, again?!) the BFD was sent to an alarms call at a Bentley home. This alarm was activated by a (previously) delicious, home-made chicken pot pie being reduced to cinders in the oven and hungry firefighters got no piece of the pie! No one was injured, only a bit embarrassed.
And at noon on November 14 ten BFD members were sent to a structure fire in Bentley. Upon arrival the single detached garage was fully engulfed and the car inside was a complete write-off so crews used water and foam to keep the fire from spreading to neighboring homes and garages while it was brought under control and then extinguished. Lacombe Fire Department was called for Mutual Aid and then stood down once the fire had been contained. The cause of the fire is being investigated.
We at the Bentley Fire Department would like to thank you all for joining us at the hall on Halloween. Over 200 of you came by to spend some time learning about the trucks, equipment and your firefighters. We really enjoyed seeing your costumes and handing out goodies and hope to do it all again next year.
And from all of us, have a safe and very Merry Christmas!