Fire safety innovation showcased in Kananaskis

ABmunis’ Infrastructure Committee visited Kananaskis Country earlier this month and held the final meeting of its term in the Kananaskis  Emergency Services Centre. Afterwards, committee members were treated to lunch and a tour by Gary Robertson, Kananaskis Improvement District’s Chief of Emergency Services.

Chief Robertson, who is also a Red Seal chef, prepared a delicious lunch for committee members and then led them on a tour of the impressive facility.

The Kananaskis Emergency Services Centre features many innovative health and safety initiatives, including:

• colour-coding of cleaning tools and doorways to ensure that implements used to clean vehicles contaminated by fires are not used to clean areas of the station used by other members of the department (e.g., the training room and the fitness centre).
• a first-of-its-kind-in-Canada sanitization system for the gear firefighters wear out on calls.
• extra changes of clothing and footwear are provided to members so they never need to wear contaminated clothing home. 

Chief Robertson also shared some of the challenges that his firefighters face when operating in remote, rugged areas like Kananaskis Country. Effective service provision must be coordinated between the Improvement District, the provincial government, neighbouring Indigenous communities and nearby municipalities such as the Town of Canmore and the Municipal District of Bighorn.

Site visits are just one of the ways that committee members get involved with the work of municipalities. They can be called on to:

• represent ABmunis at engagements with the provincial government
• help develop advocacy positions and responses to new government programs
• represent ABmunis at external events. 

If you are interested in joining an ABmunis policy committee, fill out a committee interest form here.