Eston Fire Dept. protects and educates
By Joan Janzen
The Eston Fire Department consists of 18 dedicated members. Richard Baron has faithfully held the fire chief position for more than 25 years. Richard first joined the fire department in 1975. Now, at 72, he is still putting in three or more hours, five days a week.
“I do budgeting, setting up class, looking into new equipment, day-to-day attendance, call sheets, billing, those types of things,” he explained.
Because Richard is retired, he is available to attend afternoon meetings. Although he keeps busy, he admits he is looking forward to retiring in the not-too-distant future.
The fire department is responsible for issuing fire bans when necessary, putting up notifications in different locations, as well as on social media. In spite of experiencing a dry summer in the Eston area, Richard noted the fire department has been quiet. “I think farmers and people, in general, are being very careful, because they realize it’s so dry,” he concluded.
The members of the local fire brigade are a mix of both long-term members and newer members, but they’re always looking for more people to join the team. “I’d like to have 20 - 22 members because not everybody is around during the day. You need to keep your numbers up, so you have members when you need them,” Richard explained.
Before new recruits are allowed to fight a working fire, they need to take some essential training, with more training provided along the way. Fortunately, as a provincial fire instructor, Richard Baran can provide the training at Eston. “It’s a bonus for the community because they don’t have to bring in an instructor, which could get pretty expensive,” he said.
Volunteer firefighters also perform preliminary maintenance on the trucks, checking all the equipment at every fire meeting. “If there’s any reported problems, we take it to a local repair shop,” Richard said. “If it’s something bigger, we have to bring in specialists.”
During Fire Prevention Week, firefighters from the Eston brigade will conduct activities at the Eston school. “My fire prevention officer is going to give a quick presentation to the students. Then we’re going to have the firefighters in street clothes, begin the process of dressing in full firefighter gear,” Richard said. This will allow the students to see a person in everyday attire be transformed into a full-fledged firefighter.
“We’re doing this in a few classrooms, spending about twenty minutes in each classroom,” he said. It’s just one of the many services that the local fire department provides to educate the public and help keep them safe.
Eston Fire Department
Fire Chief - Richard Baran
Deputy Fire Chief - Jordan Hutchinson
Jeffery Fox
Natalie Massey
Kevin Fox
April Matthewson
Darryl Elaschuk
Lenard Ward
Tyler Mills
Erwil Gan
Ross Villon
Juandre Bernard
Jamieson Day
Nick Hutchinson
Romeo Albor
Taylor Jackson
Cole Elaschuk
Kianna Tatomir
Lorna Cummings
Mike Hill
Amber Haug