Heather Latter
Emergency response representatives from both sides of the border joined together at the first Rainy River Cross-Border Conference last week at the AmericInn in International Falls.
Entitled “Disasters Do Not Go Through Customs,” the goal of the two-day conference was to strength relationships, network, share resources and training opportunities, and be better prepared in case of emergency situations on either side of the border.
But Dave Crichton of the Fort Frances Fire Rescue Service, who was filling in for Fire Chief Frank Sheppard, noted the two communities already have a great relationship when it comes to cross-border response.
Crichton has been a full-time firefighter for Fort Frances for 16 years, and prior to that was a, MNR forest firefighter for 20 years.
“I’m used to working with different groups of people in interagency responses and mutual-aid scenarios . . . and I consider the agreement we have with International Falls to really be a success,” he said during the final presentation of the conference last Wednesday.
“We work so closely with them when we need them and vice-versa,” Crichton noted.
“We train the same, we operate equipment the same, we carrying fittings so we can get onto their hydrant water systems and they can get on ours.
“It’s great,” he added. “It’s like having one big department when you really need it.”
Crichton said there’s been an agreement in place between the two communities since 1984.
While suggesting it might need updating, he confirmed the agreement has been activated many times without issue.
“I just phone over and they help me or they phone and we help them,” he explained.
Crichton said the last call he remembers receiving was last May when the CN Rail trestle caught fire, damaging several rail cars before it collapsed.
He noted Fort Frances had International Falls covered while its responders were busy dealing with that situation.
“And they would do the same for us,” he added.
“It’s been a really good relationship because whenever we’ve asked, we’ve never been turned down,” he stressed.
Crichton said some of the events where back-up for the neighbouring community was required included:
•the man camp fires in International Falls in the late 1980s;
•the co-gen fire in Fort Frances in the early 1990s;
•a joint water/ice rescue event in the mid-1990s near the Ranier bridge;
•the J.W. Walker School explosion in 2008;
•a hardware store fire in downtown International Falls; and
•the railcar rollover and peroxide spill at the paper mill in Fort Frances.
He added they also provided mutual support to each other during the flooding in 2014, and have had numerous integrated training and emergency management opportunities.
Crichton said the response agreements are supported by council resolutions in International Falls and Fort Frances, with both countries having mechanisms in place that support the concept of obtaining assistance as necessary for the individual jurisdictions.
He said border agencies have discretionary authority to allow for the right thing to be done based on identified need.
“Both management and ground personnel have developed a comfortable working relationship with our Borderland counterparts that makes interoperability very effective,” he remarked.
In terms of equipment and training, fire trucks are all built and certified to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Personal protective equipment also is constructed and maintained to NFPA standards while training and performance expectations for firefighters are measured by NFPA professional qualifications.
While communications are separate systems, Crichton said they have developed a local option to integrate capacity.
He noted when the two communities work together, the home department is in command of the incident.
“It just makes sense that you are in charge in your country . . .,” he reasoned, saying normal operation usually will have the visiting department operate as a sector under the overall command structure.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the Falls and I hope they feel that same way,” he voiced. “Our proximity is such that we are almost one big community.
“The operations that we have had together are seamless,” Crichton stressed. “I can’t remember one bump in the road.
“We talk the same language when it comes to emergency response.”
Crichton added Fort Frances and International Falls also are developing a complementary process for hazardous materials response.
Roy Holmes, of Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management, noted the two communities also will be working towards completing an integrated emergency management course.
“I think the next step for this group is to start training together,” he said.
“I think it’s a positive step; growing and keeping the momentum going in the Rainy River area.”
Also addressed during the conference were train incidents (CN Rail), communications and interoperability, First Nation cross-border issues, law enforcement border issues, isolation and quarantine in cross-border travel, and flood response from 2014.
