SHEGUIANDAH—The Sheguiandah First Nation has received firefighting equipment that will go toward their hopes of restarting a fire/emergency response team in the community.
“We have received firefighting equipment, donated by another fire department,” stated Andrew Corbiere, new emergency preparedness coordinator for Sheguiandah First Nation. “One of our goals is to help the community develop a fire/emergency response team and so I had reached out to my fellow colleagues with the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council and they had gear donated from the Hinchinbrooke, Quebec Volunteer Fire Brigade,” said Mr. Corbiere. “In helping us get started we received donated PPE (personal protection equipment) with several full sets of bunker gear, a thermal imaging camera, along with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).”
“This is much needed equipment in getting started for fire protection,” Mr. Corbiere told The Expositor.
Mr. Corbiere pointed out he is hopeful of getting a Sheguiandah firefighting team started again in the community. “I was hired by the community as the emergency preparedness coordinator which covers all kinds of aspects of emergency awareness, including re-establishing a fire department. Hopefully with the fire equipment that has been donated, this will start towards being able to get a fire team started up again.”
“When I started my new position in the community, I contacted all the previous members of the firefighting team, and they all said yes they would come back,” said Mr. Corbiere, noting the next need for the fire team is obtaining a pumper truck. “I know Fire Fighters Without Borders have donated those to other fire departments to start up fire teams, and I have reached out to them and will contact other groups.”
He said Sheguiandah currently receives firefighting services from the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI) fire department but having a local firefighting team would obviously result in better firefighting response.
Mr. Corbiere said Sheguiandah has a Quonset building with an outdoor rink beside it, but this could potentially be used by the fire department and public works department, and the community leadership is also looking at the possibly relocating the skating rink beside the community basketball court.
“It was National Indigenous Fire Safety Council and the Indigenous Fire Marshal Services (Mr. Corbiere had contacted) who reached out to the Hinchinbrooke Volunteer Fire Brigade about donating fire equipment to us,” said Mr. Corbiere.
Mr. Corbiere said he had an idea to “share with two other First Nation Fire Departments on the Island, his home community of M’Chigeeng First Nation and Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nations. We will be donating SCBA’s to their fire departments. Chi-miigwetch to NIFSC IFMS and Hinchinbrooke Volunteer Fire Brigade.”
