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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Is East St Paul a full time department?

No. The East St Paul Fire Dept. is a paid on call department. This means that the members of the department are all employed elsewhere. They carry pagers which are monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They respond to the firehall from home or elsewhere in the community.

 

Doesn't this delay the response time?

Compared to full time departments, on call departments will have a longer response time. However, due to the geographics of our municipality and the dedication of our staff, our department is able to ensure a timely response during all hours.

 

Am I required to yield to Firefighters responding to the firehall in their personal vehicles?

Yes. Members personal vehicles are equipped with flashing red lights, which, when activated, indicate that they are responding to an emergency. Please obey the law and yield to all emergency vehicles by pulling over and coming to a complete stop. This allows us to respond efficiently and safely.

  

Why does the Fire Department attend medical calls?

Ambulance based Emergency Medical Services are a provincial responsibility and fall under the direction of the individual Regional Health Authorities. 


*Residents of East St Paul residing outside of the Perimeter Highway are serviced by IERHA EMS. 

*Residents of East St Paul residing inside of the Perimeter Highway are serviced by Winnipeg


That's where our Medical First Response (MFR) Program comes in: We are dispatched to provide primary EMS response, assessment and treatment to urgent situations where MFR may be able to arrive prior to an ambulance. 

 

  • MFR will be primarily dispatched to high-priority calls (Priority 1, 2 or 3) as defined by the dispatch centre in accordance with Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) protocols. 

  • MFR may be dispatched to selected lower-priority calls in accordance with dispatch centre protocols.

  • MFR may, in selected circumstances, be dispatched to an incident without an ambulance also being dispatched. This decision is solely made by the dispatch center as per established protocols. 

 

We are 1 of only 15 municipalities in the province who operate a Medical First Responder program. We view this service as absolutely essential to the residents of our municipality. We are proud to operate the largest, highest trained and most experienced MFR program in rural Manitoba.

 

Does ESPFD respond to other municipalities?

Yes. We take part in a provincially organized program known as Mutual Aid. The Province is divided into geographic areas known as Mutual Aid Districts. Each district is comprised of a number of Municipalities/ Fire Departments. We fall within the North East Mutual Aid District. (NEMAD) The District is comprised of 14 Departments who when needed, can call on each other for assistance. This ensures that Firefighters and equipment are always available when we are needed most.

 

Do you issue burn/ fireworks permits? 

Yes, Please contact the fire chief. 

 

My insurance company requires information on the distance to my closest fire hydrant, where do I find this information?

The fire department does not provide this information. It will be the responsibility of the property owner and their insurance company to determine this. In many cases the closest hydrant is not on the street in front of the property, but located on another street and only accessible by laying of hose lines through other properties. The question then becomes "what is considered an accessible hydrant?" The East St Paul Fire Dept. has determined that for our purposes for a hydrant to be considered "accessible" it must be accessible via a direct roadway to facilitate the laying of hose lines during all seasons and conditions. As to what an insurance company considers an accessible hydrant and what is an acceptable distance will be at the discretion of the respective insurance company. 

 


 

Are you Hiring?

Interested persons are encouraged to contact the fire chief. Minimum requirements include:

 

18 years of age

Valid drivers license

Criminal record and child abuse registry check

 

Commitment to achieving the following certifications:

 

Class 4 license

Airbrakes endorsment

First Aid/CPR (16hours)

NFPA FireFighting Level 1 (200 hours)

NFPA FireFighting Level 2 (100 hours)

Emergency Medical Responder (100 hours)