Bentley District Fire Department

Volunteer | Dedication | Perserverance

The Bentley District Fire Department is comprised of 17 committed volunteers, dedicated to serving our community. Since its establishment, the Bentley Fire Department has continued to preserve the safety and security of community members within its 1000 sq km area district. From fighting fires, to medical emergency responses, and motor vehicle accidents, our volunteers are highly trained and experienced to react and aid in many emergency situations. Training every Monday night as well as some weekends and responding to over 70 emergency calls per year, the Bentley District Fire Department's volunteers devote their lives to helping others.

This past month your fire department has been sent to several calls:

November 20, 2014  / 

  •  At 6:48 pm on October 26, thirteen members responded to a call of smoke alarms ringing at a Bentley residence. The hallway smoke detector was activated as the homeowners cooking went awry.
  • On October 31 at 10:22 in the morning, BFD crews raced to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Highway #12 and RR 28-2 east of Bentley. A vehicle had left the road and hit an approach which deployed the airbags. The driver was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The vehicle was safely disabled and the area cleaned up. Thank you to the passersby who stopped to help.
  • A call of an outside fire came in on November 1 at about 3 pm. Crews arrived at the  scene on Aspelund Road and RR 28-2 to find the land renter monitoring a controlled burn. This was left in the supervisor's care.
  • On November 16 at 5:11 pm a call was received of a carbon monoxide alarm ringing at a Bentley home. Crews arrived at the house and detected elevated levels so ATCO Gas was notified. The scene was left in the care of the ATCO technician once it was deemed safe.
  • Just a half-hour later that same evening the BFD was sent to a fire in the ditch on the south side of Highway #12 west of town. Upon arrival it was discovered a couch was ablaze. Crews doused the furniture and extinguished the burn. Unfortunately, the sofa didn't make it.
  • And on November 17 at 1:06 pm, twelve members were called to a structure fire in Bentley. A detached garage was fully involved upon our arrival and firefighters quickly knocked the fire down to keep it from spreading to the adjacent house. Fortunately no one was injured.

This past month your fire department responded to a number of calls;

August 25, 2014  / 

  • At 5:09 pm on July 17 seven members were sent to a fire at Bentley's transfer station. It turned out to be a controlled burn in the pit and was ruled a false alarm.
  • On July 27 in the early morning hours firefighters were sent to the scene of a single vehicle accident on Highway #20 just south of Highway #12. A southbound truck had left the road and run along the ditch for quite some distance before rolling and trapping the driver. The patient was freed and treated on scene until EMS arrived. Traffic was managed until the vehicle was removed.
  • Around 8 pm that same evening the BFD was called to a possible structure fire on Highway #12 just west of Highway #20. Crews arrived to find an older model truck had just been started up and was belching plumes of black smoke.
  • Early in the morning on July 29, seven members were sent to assist Lacombe Fire Department with a structure fire. Three homes were destroyed but the fire was kept from spreading further and fortunately no one was hurt. On the way back to the hall another call came in of an accident east of Bentley. A car had gone off the road and struck a power pole, rolling and ejecting the driver. The patient was cared for while awaiting EMS. STARS was called and met the ambulance at the Red Deer Hospital while fire crews cleaned up the scene.
  • On August 4 at 10:01 am members went to a call of a CO alarm ringing at Sunbreaker Cove. The residents had evacuated the house and it was checked for elevated carbon monoxide levels. None were found and the source was not determined so the homeowners were given a new CO detector and advised to call their gas company for further investigation.  
  • The BFD was called out to a mutual aid for a fire in Eckville on August 14. Members were later stood down as the incident was under control.
  • On August 15 at 3:46 pm crews were dispatched to Bentley's transfer station where an individual had fallen into the trash compactor and landed on their head. The patient was carefully packaged and removed from the bin by firefighters and then sent by ambulance to the hospital for further evaluation.

     The Bentley District Fire Department would like to thank everyone involved in the 2014 rodeo weekend.
It was a privilege to be this year's theme and we appreciate your support of this dedicated group of volunteers.

                        Great job Bentley!


This past month the BFD has been very busy;

July 18, 2014  / 

  • At 4:47 pm on June 17 members were called to a grassfire west of Highway #20 near Rimbey. A burn permit was in place but the fire was left unattended and had spread. Crews contained the fire while the landowner was contacted, given further instruction and was left to closely monitor it.
  • On June 20 about suppertime eleven members responded to a call of alarms ringing at a Bentley residence. The homeowner was stuck in our road construction traffic and couldn't quite make it home in time to contact the alarm company before our crews arrived. A quick investigation was conducted before ruling it a false alarm.
  • In the early morning hours of June 21 fourteen members raced to the scene of an ATV accident on RR 1-2 immediately north of Bentley. The driver had left the road and struck a power pole.  Firefighters administered CPR while awaiting EMS who continued this treatment. Unfortunately the patient succumbed to the injuries sustained.
  • On June 25 at 10:52 am crews were called to a residence in Bentley where a patient was in need of medical assistance. Arriving at the same time as EMS, members helped safely package and load the patient into the waiting ambulance for transport to the hospital.
  • At 10:04 am on June 26, firefighters were called to the Bentley High School after a report of alarms ringing. A heat detector was found to have been knocked loose, triggering the alarm.
  • Ten BFD members were directed to another Bentley house on June 29, around suppertime. Alarms were ringing but the homeowners were simply cooking their dinner. A check was done and the all-clear was given.
  • At 12:55pm on June 30, firefighters attended the scene of a 2-vehicle accident on Rainy Creek Road near RR 1-4. A tire from one truck had come off and struck the passenger side of the other. The occupants were uninjured and the BFD provided some minor hazmat and traffic control.
  • Early in the morning on July 7, fourteen crew members were called to the Bentley Colony where a hog barn was on fire. Mutual aid was quickly called in from other departments; Lacombe, Blackfalds, Eckville and Sylvan Lake. With the hard work of 45 firefighters at its peak the fire was brought under control by 11:45 am The north barn was destroyed and about 4500 sows and piglets along with it, but the south barn was saved along with approximately 3,000 more pigs. Fire crews were released throughout the day, but Bentley remained on scene for over 14 hours. Many thanks to the colony and surrounding colonies for providing meals and drinks to hungry firefighters throughout the ordeal.
  • And on July 10 at 4:07 pm the BFD received a call of a watercraft in distress on Sylvan Lake near Sunbreaker Cove. The 2 adults on board called 911 because their boat had run out of gas! Sylvan Lake RCMP as well as the BFD were both called out to the disillusioned boaters. Please keep in mind while enjoying yourselves on the water to keep the necessary equipment and safely items on board. Emergencies can happen in an instant!

This past month the BFD has received an assortment of emergency calls:

June 18, 2014  / 

  •  On May 29 firefighters were sent to a home in Bentley where the resident had suffered an apparent heart attack. Members performed CPR until paramedics arrived and continued the treatment.
  •  In the late afternoon of June 8, ten members were called to a grassfire on Highway #20 near Aspelund Road. The landowner was burning several piles of livestock bedding. No burn permit had been issued and no one was monitoring the fires, so they were extinguished.
  • Around suppertime on June 9th the BFD raced to the Lakeview campground boat launch where some individuals had been seen out in the water calling for help. Two family members were pulled from the lake by a fisherman and brought to shore where they were wrapped in blankets and taken into Bentley's Rescue truck to warm up. EMS arrived shortly thereafter and the patients were assessed and treated for minor hypothermia. Thank you to the witnesses and passersby who stayed to help and provide information.
  •  Bentley's firefighters continue to train every week to stay prepared for whatever this world may throw their way . On May 26 we joined Lacombe Fire Department for a combined training night at the Woody Nook Church. As we depend on each others' help for mutual aid incidents, it is important to familiarize ourselves with the others' equipment and tactics. And having fun is strongly encouraged!

This has been a quiet spring so far with just 3 calls to report:

May 21, 2014  / 

  • Midafternoon on April 20 a call came in of a grassfire in the ditch of Highway #20 south of Centerview Road. BFD crews extinguished the fire and notified Fortis to check power poles in the affected area.

  • On April 21 at 2:27 pm eight members responded to a call at a Bentley home. The resident informed the Fire Chief something had been cooking on the stove and had spilled over, triggering the alarm. A check was conducted and no fire was evident. 

  • On the evening of May 1 eleven firefighters were sent to the Bentley Waste Transfer Station where a fire was burning in the burn pit. The controlled burn was being managed and was left in the care of the dump's supervisor.


Your department has been keeping busy attending various training courses,
doing safety training at the hall, conducting hall tours and providing services in our
community. On May 14 we had some fun at Camp L.G. Barnes on Gull Lake
instructing counsellors on the proper use of fire extinguishers.
 

We are also very pleased to introduce a new member of the BFD, Mr. Greg Holdstock. Welcome to the department Greg, we are happy to have you on board!

This past month your fire department has been called to four incidents; interestingly, all have been carbon monoxide alarms.

April 14, 2014  / 

  • On March 26 at 10:16 pm eight members were called to a rural residence west of town where alarms were ringing. The homeowner stated the alarm went off right after he lit the wood pellet stove. Our gas detector did not register elevated levels of carbon monoxide or any other gas, but the homeowner was advised not to use the stove until he had it inspected.
     
  • Shortly before noon on March 28 the BFD was sent to a Bentley residence where alarms were sounding. 3 residents evacuated while firefighters inspected the home. Nothing registered on the detector and the call was declared a false alarm.
     
  • At 9:58 pm on March 29, ten members responded to a call east of Bentley. A residence reported carbon monoxide alarms going off. Although the call was in Lacombe's area, the LFD requested that Bentley continue to the residence. The home was inspected and no elevated CO levels were found. Upon Lacombe's arrival the Bentley Fire Department transferred command then cleared the scene.
     
  • On April 2 about 12:15 pm seven members attended a call at another rural home west of Bentley on RR 3-0. Patients were in Rimbey EMS care upon Bentley's arrival so firefighters searched the house and recorded elevated CO levels. The house was ventilated and measures were taken to alleviate the suspected problem.

This past month has been remarkably quiet with only two incidents to report;

March 27, 2014  / 

  • On Friday, February 21 shortly after 7:30am members were called to an accident on Hwy#20 just north of Aspelund Road. A southbound vehicle had skidded off the road, rolled down the east embankment and came to rest on it's roof against a stand of trees. The driver, found outside the truck was tended to until EMS arrived. The patient was packaged into the BFD's basket and pulled up to the waiting ambulance. Traffic was carefully managed during the operation. Thanks to the passersby who cared enough to stop and help in the cold conditions.
     
  • At 5am on Thursday, February 27 eight firefighters were sent to another one-vehicle accident on Hwy#12 near the summer village of Gull Lake. A westbound vehicle left the road around a corner, ending up on it's side in the ditch. The patient was tended to by EMS and the fire department ensured the vehicle was disabled and stabilized while controlling the early morning traffic.

      
The Bentley District Fire Department would like to thank all those who attended
the Safety Day program at the Bentley Ag Centre on Tuesday, March 11. We saw
many school classes as well as others in our community, come out to learn more
about steps we all can take to ensure our own personal safety. Thank you to all the
volunteers who contributed to this important event. The interest and turnout was
wonderful and we were happy to be a part of it!

Firefighter Jeff Vert, Captain Al Bickford,
MP Blaine Calkins (in bunker gear)

Firefighter Kathi Issler, MP Blaine Calkins,
Captain Al Bickford, Firefighter Pat Madden

This past month, the Bentley District Fire Department has been kept busy attending several incidents:

February 19, 2014  / 

  • About 8 am on January 23, nine members were sent to the scene of an accident on Highway #20 just north of Aspelund Road. Two individuals had to be extricated from their vehicle which proved to be difficult due to the large amount of snow in the ditch and the precarious position the vehicle was in. Once extricated, they were sent to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Unfortunately another individual was pronounced dead at the scene. The highway was closed for quite some time as the RCMP conducted their investigation.
  • On the morning of January 29, due to the significant amount of vehicle accidents that day, members were called by Lacombe Fire Department to help assist with an accident at Highway #12 and #2A in Lacombe. The BFD was stood down while en route as Lacombe was able to free themselves from previous incidents to attend this scene themselves.
  • Close to noon on January 31, firefighters were again called to assist Lacombe Fire Department with another wave of vehicle accidents, this time at Highway #12 and #2. Once again members were stood down as the situation was managed by Lacombe.
  • At 6:13 pm on February 4, eleven members were alerted to a call of alarms ringing at a business in town. The alarm upstairs was activated by what turned out to be food burning in the microwave. Unexpectedly the occupant had locked themselves out of the apartment in the business below. Firefighters pried open the door to gain entrance and fortunately the fire in the microwave had extinguished itself.
  • On February 15 at 6:30 pm a call came in of alarms ringing at a Bentley residence. Nine firefighters responded and investigated what turned out to be a false alarm.

All of us at the Bentley District Fire Department are very excited and proud to be in our beautiful new facility! We look forward to showing it off with an “Open House” which will happen when everything is completed.

Submitted by Kathi Issler
Bentley District Fire Department

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