Gas company Enbridge made a donation to the Markstay Warren Fire Department on Tuesday to help pay for critical educational materials to help with training.
Officials with the fire department said ongoing training fosters safety for firefighters and the community.
In total, Enbridge is donating $250,000 to 50 Ontario fire departments to purchase training materials.
“One of our core values at Enbridge is safety and we take it very seriously so anything we can do to support local communities in enhancing safety,” said Matt Watson of Enbridge.
“Whether it be carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors or grants for training for fire departments, it all leads to the same goal of safety.”
The Markstay Warren Fire Department received $5,000 to purchase training manuals that help them meet provincial standards.
Officials with the fire department said 55 volunteers serve an area as large as the GTA with most of it being rural.
“Training is critical to maintain our levels of competency and that we are all at the same level and we all train on an equal footing,” said Steve Salonin of the Markstay Warren Fire Department.
“So being a volunteer department, the firefighters will be coming from all the different stations and we are all the same level and we can interact equally.”
Markstay Warren recently purchased a $650,000 pumper tanker truck that holds 2,800 gallons of water.
“It’s very important for small rural municipalities to have water,” said fire chief Mark Whynott.
“Water is one of the essential parts to successful suppression efforts and it’s hard to come by in the municipality. We have hydrated villages but in our rural parts, we need a lot of water if we have a structural fire or any issue out there.”
Officials with the fire department said the majority of their calls are along Highway 17, the Trans Canada Highway. Volunteer firefighters train every week all year round.