Plugged into the community
Fire department taking more active role in Rankin Inlet
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
RANKIN INLET
Members of the Rankin Inlet Volunteer Fire Department chipped-in to make one cold day on Williamson Lake a little warmer for children in Rankin earlier this month.
Volunteer firefighters Sherry Morey, Scott Morey, Kelly Kabvitok, Nick Harmon, Mark Kappi and Capt. George Aksadjuak, from left, served up hot drinks and tatsy treats to kids skating and playing hockey on Williamson Lake in Rankin Inlet in April of 2016. - photo courtesy of Mark Wyatt |
Rankin fire Chief Mark Wyatt said the members decided to host a community event on April 10 to reach out to the community's youth.
He said crew picked up some hot chocolate, cookies, hotdogs, buns and condiments and headed for Williamson Lake.
"We just decided to take our barbecue and tent down to the lake, set it all up with some tables, and start giving away hotdogs, cookies and hot chocolate to the kids who were on the skating rinks," said Wyatt.
"The Northern store and our Co-op both gave us some generous donations to help us with all the product.
"It was around -40 C with the windchill that afternoon, but there were still a lot of kids who took part.
"It was just an all around fun time for a couple of hours, and it warmed up some of the kids who were out skating in the cold."
Wyatt said it's pretty amazing how many children braved the cold to take advantage of the outdoor rinks on Williamson Lake.
He said there's not too much that can stop children in Rankin when they want to play some hockey or go for a skate.
"They're a pretty resilient bunch of kids, that's for sure.
"And if there's a puck to be chased, they're there.
"We had 10 firefighters come out to help with this, and it's really important for us to stay connected to the community.
"The fire department plays a pretty big role in the safety of our small community, so it works out pretty well whenever we can get out, share some of the stuff we do and stay connected in a social way."
Wyatt said the department is doing a lot more public education in the community these days.
He said they're also hosting tours of the station for the Girl Guides and students in some of the schools.
"We try to stay active and out in the community as much as we can.
"The kids interact a little bit differently with us in a more informal setting, but, in general, they're pretty excited when they see the fire truck coming.
"Most of the kids are also pretty excited to see the firefighters, and we have the Girl Guides in for a tour this week.
"We'll talk to them about home fire safety and home-escape plans while they're here."
Wyatt said educating a family about fire safety starts with the children.
He said often kids aged five to eight will go home and encourage their parents to start doing fire drills and come up with a proper home-escape plan.
"It's not usually something the parents initiate.
"It usually comes from the kids, so that's part of why we start to educate them.
"Like most everything else, good home fire safety is a community effort."
