The Picture Butte Fire Department marked Fire Prevention Week and the Grand Opening of the Picture Butte Fire Department expansion on Thursday.
Fire Chief for Picture Butte Emergency Services Frank West says the 3,200 square feet of additional base space is the first renovation the firehouse had seen since opening in 1980. According to West, in the 20-year span, the department grew from a small regional volunteer-run department to a full department that has up to 1,400 calls a year and includes two EMS units.
“We also redesigned the bays to face west in our parking lot, instead of facing north out onto the highway, so it gives our firetrucks the opportunity to come out and be able to see traffic both ways without pulling out into traffic,” West says. “These changes are a huge health and safety increase for us, and give our firefighters a safe and etiquette workspace to be able to provide community services.”
The Picture Butte Chief says being able to hold the grand opening is a special occasion, as it is always a week the department looks forward to.
“For fire prevention week, it is always an opportunity to meet with the community, welcome them into our house, have a hamburger and share some fire safety information. This year, the theme is kitchen safety, and we are really promoting the message of cooking safely in the kitchen, of having fire extinguishers present, working smoke detectors in your house and being able to do that in our new building for the first time this year is special to us.”
During the October 12th open house, like many other volunteer stations in the community, the Picture Butte Fire Department had a recruitment table set up as the local fire department looks to add to its ranks.
“We are as typical as most of our volunteer fire departments in this area; we have seen a decline in recent months with our volunteer memberships. It has been a tough couple of years for not only society, our community, but our firefighters as well.”
West says volunteerism has dropped in the past while due to several factors, including the economy and the impact of the pandemic.
West adds even when the ranks are full, the working relationship the Picture Butte station has with the Raymond Fire Department and Coaldale Emergency Services is important, especially when it comes to bigger calls.