First Responder calls in 2023, 75 percent of Niverville Fire and EMS workload

Niverville Fire & EMS saw three-times more First Responder calls in 2023, than fire calls.

Fire Chief Keith Bueckert says they received 328 calls for service last year, with 81 fire calls and 247 First Responder calls.

"We're a growing community, we also have more aging-in-place facilities in Niverville, for our seniors. I think that has a little bit to do with it, as they are some of the places that we frequent most. So, we’re dealing with an older population, and I think that has a little bit to do with it, but we go to anybody that calls us, right?”

Bueckert notes that August was the busiest month, though he wasn’t quite sure why.

"I have no idea. Usually, the summertime is slower, so I wish I had a more profound answer, but I don’t. Things are so different one month to the next and often one month can be a bit quieter, but for the most part we don't have those quiet months anymore.”

He adds that April was out of the ordinary as they only had 13 calls. “That was our slowest month, but on average we're close to, I would say, about 26 calls a month.”

Bueckert notes their coverage area changed in 2023. January through March, Niverville Fire and EMS responded to calls from the RM of Tache and Ritchot as well as Niverville. Then on April 3, 2023, their catchment area decreased to just the town of Niverville including the possible annexed area around the town.

“We kept that area, which is still in the RM of Hanover, about 2 miles east of town. So, we kept that, just in case the annexation went through. Then we didn't have to go through all this stuff with 911 again.”

Bueckert clarifies the jurisdiction change didn’t affect their fire coverage,

“It just affected our medical First Response coverage. So, we basically just had to tell Manitoba ambulance dispatch that we were changing our coverage area to just the town of Niverville, and the mile or two of Hanover in the proposed annexation. And so, we went down to that, and then they stopped dispatching us to the area that we covered for 27 years in Tache and Ritchot and parts of Hanover.”

Bueckert says, thinking that shrinking the area would slow down their calls for services ended up surprising them.

“In all honesty, we basically kept pace with the calls, and we’re the same as last year in the number of calls for service. So, what it all means? It's just a growing community.”

Bueckerts speaks highly of their 38 volunteer Fire and EMS members.

“You know what? We have a pretty special group here in town. We try to have a fair amount of involvement with our crews throughout the year and also their families. I can't speak high enough about the group that we have, we're extremely lucky. We had some new people join in who said that they instantly felt at home with the people that we have and that they were welcomed. And that's important. So, we're very fortunate here and tell to have a good group of people.”