TransCanada Helps Rescue Fire Department
A devastating fire left Rapid City, Man., without an operating fire service. TransCanada stepped in quickly to provide emergency funding for the town’s first responders
TransCanada helps rescue fire dept.
On October 21, 2013, members of the Rapid City Volunteer Fire Department in Rapid City, Man., received a page about a fire in the town. There was nothing unusual about this page, and as they have many times before; responded to the call with the sense of urgency that only a first-responder is familiar with. So many times before, these brave men and women show up at the fire hall, put on their equipment and get into their fire trucks and go and save someone’s home. But this time, it was their home that needed saving.
When firefighters arrived at the fire hall they found it engulfed in flames, with all of their equipment and fire trucks inside. There was nothing they could do to save the hall, and they stood in disbelief at what was happening before their eyes. “We couldn’t believe what we were seeing. We had to stand there and watch our equipment, our home, everything, burn right in front of us. We felt completely helpless,” said Rapid City Fire Chief Morley Cornish.
The fire totally destroyed the fire hall and severely damaged the Town Hall, leaving Rapid City without an operating fire service. Fire officials believe the fire started in an electrical cord from a new air compressor located inside the fire hall.
Rapid City has a long-standing relationship with TransCanada as the Canadian Mainline, the Keystone Pipeline and the proposed Energy East Pipeline Project are all adjacent to the town. Recognizing the need of the community and the fire department, TransCanada offered the fire service a donation of $50,000 to provide short-term equipment needs for the first responders.
Read the full story on TransCanada's blog
