The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service unveiled three new locally built fire trucks Monday that will soon be deployed across the city.
In his last public appearance as chief of the fire-paramedic service, Christian Schmidt hailed the investment made in the new fire trucks two years ago as a “community safety decision.”
“This is an investment in lives, an investment in property, and in the future resilience of our city,” he said.
Each of the three new trucks cost $1.3 million, said Schmidt.
The three trucks are the first of 12 to be supplied over the next few years, said Robert Pike, the national sales manager for Fort Garry Fire Trucks, during a news conference at the Winnipeg-based company’s facility.
The fire truck apparatus manufacturer has supplied fire trucks to the City of Winnipeg for more than 40 years — a partnership Mayor Scott Gillingham said he’s proud to continue.
“These fire engines were built right here in Winnipeg by a company that has been part of our community for more than a century,” he said.
“It’s Winnipeg firefighters protecting Winnipeg residents using Winnipeg fire engines built by Winnipeggers — and I think there’s something very special about that.”
Mayor Scott Gillingham says there’s something ‘very special’ about the new trucks being made in Winnipeg and for Winnipeggers. (Rudi Pawlychyn/CBC)
Gillingham says the new vehicles are part of an $18-million planned investment in fire trucks over the next three years.
The increased spending on emergency services is needed to respond to a “significant increase in call volume for fire paramedics, and for police as well,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the Winnipeg Police Service unveiled its first new police cruiser in over 20 years, Insp. Max Waddell, the police service’s west district commander, said in an interview on CBC Radio’s Up to Speed.
The new cruiser will patrol in the west district — which encompasses 46 per cent of the city and includes quickly growing areas like Bridgwater, said Waddell.
“We go all the way south of St. Norbert all the way up to Logan,” a span that could easily take 30 minutes to drive, he said.
“So if we can put another unit in a specific area, then we can cut down on the amount of driving time, and actually meet with citizens to hear their concerns and complaints and address them.”
It was made possible by the addition of 18 officers to the police service, he said, and will bring the number of two-officer cars patrolling the district at any given time from seven to eight.
Gillingham said the addition of the fire trucks and the cruiser are part of an “overall bigger picture” of investments into emergency services for the people of Winnipeg.
For the fire-paramedic service, new equipment is needed as trucks age out and are no longer sufficient to meet growing call volumes, Schmidt said.
“Like any piece of frontline equipment, they age,” with wear and tear affecting “reliability, speed, and safety,” he said.
“Modern engines mean we can get where we’re going faster, and that matters for the people on the other end of the 911 call.”
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Services Chief Christian Schmidt says the new trucks acquired by the service will help first responders respond to calls faster. (Rudi Pawlychyn/CBC)
With Winnipeg’s population growing, the growth of the fire-paramedic service — including expanding its fleet, its station infrastructure and personnel levels — should be reflected in future budgets, said Schmidt, who will serve as chief for just a few more days after announcing his retirement earlier this year.
Ryan Sneath, currently a deputy chief with the service, will take over the role.