Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Monday, July 9, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Fire Marshall Claude Gervais thinks there's some problems with fire trucks in the Beaufort Delta.

Firstly, they're not being used enough.

Claude Gervais monitors one last fire - a retirement barbecue held July 4 - in Inuvik while wearing a novelty fireman's hat. As Fire Marshall to the Beaufort Delta, he's helped hamlets like Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk and Tuktoyaktuk build safer buildings and update their equipment. Yet, he said there's still much to do. - Philippe Morin/NNSL photo

"Every truck should be taken out once a week just to drive around, and see that everything works, but sometimes this isn't done," he said.

"I think people are afraid to touch it because it's an emergency vehicle. They just clean it and leave it."

Another problem is the use of older trucks in Aklavik and Tsiigehtchic, which have their pumps exposed at the front end.

"This is the North, and there's a high chance of freezeup," Gervais said. "In the new trucks, the pump is in the middle, so there is less chance of feezing even if it's minus 50."

Having spent 28 years as a military firefighter in different parts of Canada, Gervais said he's seen all sorts of blazes.

But as Beaufort Delta Fire Marshall under MACA, his work since 2001 has been to educate people about safety, especially in small communities.

It's a job which has brought him to Sachs Harbour, Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, Fort McPherson, Aklavik, Tuktoyaktuk and Tsiigehtchic, to train firefighters and inspect buildings.

"Fire investigation is the primary role," he said of being Marshall. "We look at the structure, emergency lighting, and if there's an evacuation plan - especially if it's a public building."

Flipping burgers at his retirement BBQ on July 4, Gervais said he remembered when Paulatuk got a new fire truck in August 2006.

Like everything else in the hamlet - at least, everything really heavy that can't be flown - the $238,000 vehicle had to brought by shipping barge.

"The material has to be ordered a year ahead," Gervais said, adding emergency services must plan ahead.

He added the Beaufort Delta is now planning on replacing firetrucks in Aklavik and Tsiigehtchic, which use the aforementioned front-fixed water pumps.

Of course, Gervais said fire safety can be expensive.

One trend he sees is the installation of ramps and so-called "barrier free" environments, which allow wheelchair users to quickly exit buildings.

In Sachs Harbour, for instance, the former daycare spent $12,000 for a ramp, partly because material had to be shipped by barge.

Because of such high costs, he said, small communities can be slow to adapt.

"You can't just knock on a door, wave a fire code in their face and say "you need to change this right away,'" Gervais said.

"You have to sit down and be able to communicate the problem. If you suggest a solution and discuss safety, then things will change."

Even after buildings are improved, he said hamlets should continue to educate people about fire safety.

"Education of people is always the cheapest thing. There should be public education in schools and also for adults," he said.

"It's a lot easier to be proactive than go fight a fire - especially when it's three in the morning and it's -30."

Having seen his share of such late-night blazes and water freezing in the hose, Gervais said he was planning on moving to the relatively warmer climate of St. Andrews near Winnipeg.

What he'll do there is anyone's guess.

"I'm hoping to retire but I know I won't," he said with a laugh.