Saint Jean Volunteer Fire

Saint Jean Volunteer Fire

Our history begins in the fall of 1959, when a group of men gathered for a cup of coffee, and it was decided that Saint Jean Baptiste and the surrounding area was in need of a fire department. The Saint Jean Chamber of Commerce organized the fire brigade and so began the St Jean Volunteer Fire Department. They raised money through various community efforts and received a grant from the municipality to purchase their first truck in 1960.

The fire department certainly has evolved over the last 65 years. From starting with a pickup truck and a pump in the back for moving water to a full-service fire department with structural and wildland fire capabilities, vehicle extrication and water rescue abilities as well as EMS support when needed.

With this evolution comes the need for education. Our members are continuously educating themselves about the ever-changing needs of the fire service. This is done by taking courses and workshops as well as participating in training exercises with other departments to prepare for any circumstances that might arise. This training includes but is not limited to ICS 100, NFPA Level 1 & 2 Firefighting, NFPA Hazardous Material certification, electric vehicle training, thermal imaging camera training, Aviation incident preparation, and Standard first aid with CPR level C.

To go with our training the department has maintained and upgraded their fleet and equipment to accommodate the surrounding community and its need. In 2005, the department purchased a new 2005 Freightliner Top Mount Enclosed Pumper truck which remains the primary response unit for all calls. The department also custom built a 2003 Dodge Rescue unit to serve as a light rescue/wildland response unit. This unit required 3 years of fundraising to develop the funds for purchase.

Our most recent purchase was a new 2023 Whaly 435R water rescue boat. This larger boat will allow us greater capability for water rescue as well as evacuation capabilities during spring flooding in the Red River Valley.

In 2019 the RM built a new fire hall for the department at 119 Second Ave. to help accommodate the future needs of the Saint Jean area. This new hall has allowed the department greater rooms for training, equipment storage and future growth capabilities. The hall is equipped with a large meeting area for the department’s normal meeting and training nights, but is also used by many other community committees and groups. The hall has been the envy of many surrounding communities and is something for all people in Saint Jean to be proud of. The hall has also been the inspiration of some larger community’s fire halls in the south east as well.

The Saint Jean Fire department has a core belief in participating in the community it is encompassed in. We can be seen at many local event including the Morris Stampede Parade, Saint Joseph Parade, and the LUD Family Day in Saint Jean. Every year we run a boot drive during our parades and have raised over $27 000 for various charities including Muscular Dystrophy Canada and the Manitoba Firefighters Burn Fund.

Our biggest event of the year is the Saint Jean Quad Derby, in which our members volunteer countless hours in the months leading up to the event grooming trails, cleaning trees and filling mud holes. The day of the derby our members take care of event parking as well as the quad wash.

As a volunteer based department, we are always looking for new driven people to join our team. If this is something you are interested in, please contact us by email at stjeanfiredept@gmail.com and ask for an application or to receive further information.