REDVERS — Initially, the Town of Redvers had ordered 60 fire blankets as a fundraiser for a new fire truck for the Redvers Volunteer Fire Department. The enviable problem town staff faced was how quickly the blankets sold out, as Redvers Town Council learned during their Dec. 18 meeting.
“They sold out in no time, like days, so we ordered a bunch more, and they just arrived today,” said CAO Tricia Pickard, adding that 25 of the 100 newly ordered blankets have already been spoken for. “People are just giving them out to everybody for Christmas gifts, which is great and an excellent idea, so we’ll be busy getting those out the door tomorrow!”
The special blankets are used to throw on an active fire, removing a key element of the fire triangle—oxygen. They’re heat resistant to 550ºC, reusable, lightweight, and easy to operate.
“Our fire department has been really good at educating people,” Pickard said. “It’s something that’s safe and you can give for a gift, and maybe save somebody’s life or from being badly burned.”
The blankets are available at the Town Office for $25 each.
Grader repairs
Council approved a resolution to send the town grader in for some repairs.
“It was a very large repair, so it’s going to cost thousands of dollars,” Pickard said, anticipating the grader to be back in operation around New Year’s.
An estimate from Fichter Mechanical in Estevan set the total cost of repairs at $44,727.96—costly, but a very important piece of equipment.
“Any of the parts are very costly, and labour for it is very costly as well because you want somebody that is really knowledgeable about that equipment,” Pickard said.
Familiar face returns
The Town of Redvers will be welcoming back a familiar face to the maintenance crew. Michael Zelionka will be starting as Assistant Foreman effective Jan. 2, 2025.
“He was actually our foreman for 30 years, retired, and decided that he might want to come back,” explained Pickard. “He’s got that experience, and we’re looking forward to him coming back.”
