Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Wrigley (Aug 31/01) - Without an operational fire truck and having too few volunteers, Wrigley could be facing a tragedy at any moment, according to its fire chief.

"There's going to be a house burn down and somebody's going to die, and then there's going to be a huge crisis here," Ed ten Brinke said emphatically. "I'm very frustrated at this time .... It's like we're out here in a desert, and nobody cares, nobody listens."

The pump on the community's only pumper truck hasn't worked for a few months. The First Nation and Municipal and Community Affairs can't agree who should cover the cost of repairing the vehicle.

In the meantime, ten Brinke has rigged up the community's water truck for firefighting, but it's dangerously inferior.

"It's actually fairly scary here ... the pump that's on there is by no means meant for that application," he said. "We kept breaking sheer pins in the pump when we were out training the other night."

The Pehdzeh Ki First Nation sent a letter to Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Roger Allen last month requesting that MACA pay for the repair, estimated at $20,000 to $40,000, according to James Sergeant, the band's senior administrative officer.

MACA transferred its aging equipment to the communities in April, Sergeant noted. The pick-up trucks and the loader weren't a concern, but the pumper truck, which is a old model that was previously used in Fort Liard, has proven too costly to fix, he said.

"That's why it's a bit of a problem because nobody wants to pick up the bill," Sergeant said. "People are aware of the seriousness of it, but that's where it stands."

Assistant fire marshall Kellie Mitchell, who works for MACA, said she has forwarded the band's letter "up the ladder" and hopes a decision will be made soon.

"I'm just waiting to hear back what MACA is actually planning on doing on this issue," Mitchell said, adding that it's a matter of identifying funds. "It's a very serious concern ... we keep saying this is a community safety issue.

Wrigley has 12 volunteers on paper, but only four who regularly show up for training, according to ten Brinke. He has started a junior firefighter program to fill the void and hopefully build a stronger fire department in the future. The teenage volunteers would offer much needed support in a time of fire, but they won't be placed at risk, ten Brinke noted.

"They'd be hauling hose or filling the air bottles or whatever. They wouldn't get near the fire," he explained. "It frees up the other guys to carry on fighting."