Twenty-nine years after signing on as a raw recruit in 1995, Dean Brooman is now Chief of the Martensville Fire Department (MFD).
Brooman, who took all his training and certification through the MFD and has served as Deputy Chief for several years, stepped into the department’s lead role following the retirement of former Fire Chief Kurtis Dyck on May 16.
Brooman’s new right-hand man is James Taylor, the MFD’s new Deputy Fire Chief. Like Brooman, Taylor received his training and certification through the MFD, moving up through the ranks since joining the department in 2012.
Taylor, a former officer with the Ministry of Corrections, officially started his full-time duties on June 17.
“I’m really happy to have James as Deputy Chief,” said Brooman. “I feel he’ll be an excellent support and we’ll work well as a team as we move this department into the future.”
Taylor said being appointed Deputy Chief is the realization of a long-standing ambition.
“I can definitely say it’s come full circle,” said Taylor. “I still remember my interview when I first applied to join the fire department. I had no idea about what it was all about, but I just knew I wanted to serve my community and it seemed like this was the best way of doing that.
“I came in for the interview and there was this panel of officers, including Russ Austin, who’s now the Fire Chief in Warman, and Kurtis and Dean. It was actually pretty intimidating. But I put in the work and built my certification, and I’m grateful for the city for investing in me. I realized all along that this was the career I wanted to pursue.”
Brooman said the MFD has a crew scheduling system that ensures 24-hour, seven-day a week coverage for the City of Martensville and surrounding area.
“We have four squads of three or four members who are on duty during weekday evenings from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.,” said Brooman. “So there is always a crew ready to respond to any emergency in the evening. We also have a crew on duty during each weekend. There are two officers assigned to each squad.”
Taylor added that under the shift system, firefighters typically work one shift overnight during the week, and then every four weeks they have a weekend on call.
“It provides coverage around the clock and also spreads the workload around,” he said.
The mutual aid agreement with neighbouring communities provides an additional layer of protection, noted Brooman.
“We can call for help from Warman, Dalmeny, Osler and Langham,” he said. “On top of that, we signed an agreement with Saskatoon Fire Department as well, so in the event we find ourselves short we can also call on Saskatoon to provide a pumper or aerial truck if we need it.”
Brooman said the fire department is building on a strong foundation, and has the tools it needs to meet the needs of a growing community.
At the same time, he added, the department is always updating equipment and staying on top of evolving trends. With more electric vehicles on the road, the risks and challenges resulting from collisions is increasing.
“We have new battery-powered state-of-the-art extrication tools that are extremely powerful and able to cut through the metal of new vehicles,” said Brooman. “We’ve had to use them in several instances. As the technology changes, we have to stay on top of things.”
Taylor said while electric vehicles may be said to have some benefit because they don’t have as much in the way of tailpipe emissions, they can pose significant risks to firefighters.
“Whether we’re putting out a fire or extricating someone, we have to be very careful about where we’re cutting,” said Taylor. “High voltage lines run throughout the vehicle, so we have to make sure we de-energize everything properly before we even start cutting or attacking the blaze.
“And when it comes to fires, once the vehicle batteries ignite, they become very difficult to extinguish because the fire is inside the battery and it moves from cell to cell, basically burning off all the energy inside those cells. They can burn for hours, or even days.”
Brooman said MFD members received naloxone training in January of 2024 through the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and will now be dispatched to drug overdose calls.
“Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life out there,” said Brooman. “We’re very anxious to help out in that capacity and serve the public by being able to respond to those calls and provide help when needed.”
The MFD recently purchased a state-of-the-art washing machine designed to clean self-contained breathing apparatus and turnout gear.
“Keeping our members safe is a huge priority,” said Brooman. “The washing machine will clean the carcinogens from our equipment. After a fire call, those carcinogens are slow killers that can lurk around on gear and cause health problems down the road. We’re fortunate we’ve been able to buy equipment to keep everyone safe.”