This streak of cold weather is making life difficult for most people, but for Moose Jaw’s three emergency services departments, they must respond to calls no matter how frigid the temperature.
Moose Jaw Fire Department
The Moose Jaw Fire Department has been fortunate recently since it has not responded to many “calls of significance,” said Fire Chief Rod Montgomery. However, the situation changes when firefighters are forced to attend to an incident.
“Once you’re on scene, because we carry water, we have to be mindful of that. You may have to circulate your pumps to keep your water moving,” he continued. “If you’re running handlines and that, the big thing is to continue to make sure the water is flowing, so you can’t ever really shut anything down.”
Most gear can withstand extreme temperatures, he noted. However, an “igloo effect” occurs because firefighters ice up when they get wet. It turns into a problem when they become soaked and cold underneath their gear.
“Kind of during the heat of the moment — no pun intended — it can still form a barrier for you … it’s after you get out of the fire or the cold that it starts to create those issues,” Montgomery added.
Since the cold can be “problematic” on-scene, the department will bring in an extra crew so that teams rotate quickly. It might also mean calling in a command vehicle or city bus so firefighters can warm up or sending crews back to the fire hall to thaw.
Firefighters must be mindful when opening and closing hydrants since those can freeze up, continued Montgomery. Sometimes those connections can crack, which forces the municipality to dig up an entire water line to replace the hydrant.
Besides the on-scene issues, driving to an emergency can also be challenging.
“Just taking the time and strive to arrive,” Montgomery said. “There’s no sense going too fast where you create a hazard that way.”
Moose Jaw EMS
Moose Jaw EMS doesn’t usually respond to many calls when people stay inside on cold days, but the organization has been busier than normal attending to sick residents or residents who think they have COVID-19 symptoms, said EMS Chief Kyle Sereda.
The extreme cold makes responding challenging because personnel have to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) over their winter clothing, equipment that wasn’t meant to be worn on top of big snowsuits or ski pants, he continued. However, the crews have adapted well.
“We try to expedite our time in the elements as well,” Sereda said. “We higher prioritize people who might be found outside, whereas under normal circumstances, someone who falls outside isn’t the highest priority, but in this weather, it becomes the highest priority because of obviously the elements.”
Sereda offered some tips to stay safe in extreme cold, such as re-evaluating whether you need to go out; ensuring your vehicle’s fuel tank is full; limiting the skin’s exposure to the cold; wearing layers; taking several warm-up breaks if working outside; having a charged cellphone; and telling people where you’re going.
Moose Jaw Police Service
The Moose Jaw Police Service understands that homelessness is a problem, so it works to support the health and safety of these less fortunate persons — especially in the winter — since this issue affects people regardless of race, colour or sex, said Staff Sgt. Randy Jesse. The police service also supports groups such as Riverside Mission in their efforts to help homeless residents.
“Public safety is a huge concern for us, and we will never leave anyone out in the cold and will provide support when necessary,” he continued.
In pre-pandemic times, the MJPS housed people in cells and let residents use the lobby as a warm-up shelter during cold weather when other space was unavailable. However, that has been impossible due to COVID-19.
“During our regular patrols in extreme cold, we are always vigilant to watch for citizens (who) may need our assistance,” Jesse added, “and (so we) do our best to ensure their safety.”
