Going in to the end of year, the Estevan Fire Department had a successful 2016, however, it didn't come without a cost. 

"It was fairly busy for us. We took a look at our busy season when it comes to motor vehicle collision and carbon monoxide alarms. Currently, we're sitting at 244 calls and we're expected to hit 250 by the end of the year. Everything looks like it's just on target," expressed Fire Chief Dale Fieser. 

Especially during the blizzards the Southeast received in early December, they expected more calls about collisions in the area. But that wasn't the case. 

"Quite honestly, I have to give kudos to the drivers in our area and visitors coming through. They are really heeding the warnings in terms of ice on the highways, road conditions, or driving accordingly."

"The result is that we've actually seen a reduction in collision in our area, so I'll give them credit for that."

As well, come January 16th, a new change is coming to the Department to help better serve the community. 

"The Estevan Fire Department will be making a transition to the Provincial Emergency Communications Centre. What does that actually mean? It will yield a faster response time for the fire department. It's going to be an excellent transition for us, and we will begin the official internal training on January 9th."

On top of that, there are training that they will be tackling in the New Year that will be vital for the safety of the community. 

"There's a few other areas that we're looking at for new skills such as Grain Bin Rescue. We have to make sure that we're keeping our skill set honed. For example, we received training on Dry Land/Ice Water training. As well, we're bringing in outside instructors because we also have members that haven't received formal training," he concluded. 

All in all, the team is gearing up for a busy 2017 ahead. Chief Fieser commends the public for their support throughout the year.