About the Derwent Fire Department

The Derwent Fire Department has been around for many years; in 1949 the Brigade purchased our first fire truck: a 1913 LaFrance pumper. During this time, many individuals have volunteered their time and effort for the community as members and executives.

It takes a lot of time and dedication to be a volunteer fire fighter, being ready 24 hours/day, 365 days/year, never knowing when the next call might be.

As a department, we spend thousands of hours each year attending incidents, meetings, practices, and training. Things have changed over the years including the gear, equipment, and regulations.

The Derwent Fire Department consists of 26 volunteer members from the hamlet and surrounding area. We are unique as a volunteer department, since in addition to fundraising, none of us keep a wage. Instead, we donate the income to an account which helps to fund our equipment upgrades. An example of this is our Kubota UTV, mounted on tracks, which has a high pressure, low volume pump that can spray a water/ foam mixture for approximately 40 minutes on a fill. This machine allows us to get into areas that are not accessible with traditional fire trucks for fire suppression and first aid.

Another great asset that we purchased is our drone, which has a 4K camera and infrared capabilities for detecting hot spots. We take the drone on all calls, using it to analyze scenes and dispatch resources effectively. Another valuable use is search and rescue. Footage is used for response analysis and training. Other recent purchases include an additional fire truck, and more.

We are proud of being a multigenerational department; many of our fathers belonged to the department years ago. We are a very close group which is why we excel.

At the beginning of 2021, we decided to take on a project to support STARS Air Ambulance. The Derwent Fire Department grew 21 acres of canola. All proceeds from the crop were donated to STARS. Members of the department and the greater community donated time, equipment, fuel, and inputs in order to grow and harvest the crop. We invited cash donations, and received a generous response to our giving levels: 1/4 Acre for $50+, Silver for $100+, Gold for $250+, and Platinum for $500+. In total, we were able to issue a cheque to STARS for $17,500.28.