CARLYLE - Carlyle Fire Chief Don Van Meer helped out at a house fire in Carlyle 36 years ago and has been with the department ever since.
A few days after the house fire, he was approached by Ken Hewitt Sr. about joining, and a week later he was a member of the department.
He has been the fire chief for the past seven years.
“The learning is ongoing for the whole department,” said Van Meer.
Born and raised in Moosomin, he moved to Carlyle in 1983. He has been married to Pam for 38 years and has three children and five grandchildren. His son Travis is also with the department as the deputy fire chief; Travis will also appear in the 2024 Saskatchewan Fire Fighters Calendar.
They have two other deputy fire chiefs, Rob Klassen and Brent Stillwell.
To become a firefighter, level 1 training is required. It consists of 15 modules and approximately 20 hours.
Inspection course training is needed for structural buildings such as commercial, hotels, residential and apartments.
Investigation for after fires and hazmat ice rescue are another level of training. Van Meer said,
“The training never really quits,” Van Meer said.
Right now, the department is sitting with 18 paid on-call firefighters, as they just received a few new members. Ideally, they would like to have 20 people for more flexibility as people work or are out of town. Some will head out on summer holidays.
Carlyle likes to have their members trained at the highest levels possible. Some of the firefighters are getting older.
They are constantly sending members away to other communities for training or bringing a trainer in and inviting surrounding departments to join in, as many of the firefighters in Carlyle are at different levels.
When a call comes in, Van Meer likes to have eight members going out on the call, as one never knows what is going on until on site, whether it be a fire or accident.
Once back at the fire hall, equipment must be checked, everything needs to be cleaned, filled and ready for the next important call.
Over the past couple of years, they have had a new fire hall and some new equipment. They are grateful for the support they receive from the community.
Van Meer is always happy to take in new volunteers to help serve Carlyle and area to keep everyone safe.
