By TERRY PUGH
Martensville Fire Department (MFD) members responded to two emergency incidents in quick succession on Tuesday, February 3.
The first call involved an industrial accident on 8th Street South in Martensville at about 11:30 a.m., when an extended forklift that was being unloaded from a flatbed semi -trailer suddenly toppled onto its side. The operator of the machine, who was driving it off the flatbed trailer when the accident happened, was unable to get himself out of the cab.
When MFD members arrived on scene they stabilized the vehicle before extricating the operator through a cab door.
“Fortunately, the cab of the forklift protected the worker from serious injuries,” said Martensville Fire Chief Dean Brooman. “It also helped that the forklift landed in a fairly deep snowbank; that cushioned the impact.”
While clearly still in shock, the operator was able to walk to a waiting ambulance with the help of two firefighters. Paramedics with Medavie Health Services West assessed the patient at the scene in the ambulance, before transporting him to hospital with injuries that are not believed to be serious.
Martensville RCMP officers also attended the incident.
Firefighters had barely cleared the accident scene and arrived back at the fire hall before they were dispatched, at about 1:00 p.m., to a report of a fire in the concession area of the Martensville Athletic Pavilion (MAP).
Firefighters responded with two pumper trucks.
“The fire was contained to a single area of the building,” said Brooman. “It started when some cooking oil caught fire and that set off the sprinkler system. The sprinklers did their job and the fire was contained right away, with minimal water damage to the area.”
When firefighters arrived, they confirmed the fire was out and were able to quickly shut down the sprinkler system.
The concession area of the MAP had to be ventilated to clear the smoke.
Meanwhile, students and staff at Martensville High School, which is connected to the MAP, were evacuated from their building as a result of the fire alarm.
The students were massed outside the main doors of the high school, with many groups spilling over into the busy parking lot, while awaiting the call from the principal to return to class.
“We were able to give the green light for students to go back into their building fairly soon after we ensured the sprinkler system was operational once again,” said Brooman. “The two sprinkler systems in the MAP and the high school are tied in together.
“We told the school officials they could allow the students back in. When they did that there was a collective groan from the kids, who seemed to be enjoying the unexpected break.”
Brooman said the MFD has been busy so far this winter, with medical calls being the most frequent. However, other types of emergencies are occurring more often as the city grows.
“Last year was the busiest year we’ve ever had,” he said. “We had 498 calls. Hats off to our members who are always on call serving the people of their community. They’re a dedicated group and we appreciate all they do.”