Warwick Township volunteer firefighters are getting new training materials, thanks to a $5,000 Enbridge donation.
Warwick Township volunteer firefighters are getting new training materials, thanks to a $5,000 Enbridge donation.
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The money goes toward textbooks for all 27 volunteers at the township’s Watford station, said Watford station fire chief Rick Sitlington.
The training is needed to meet new provincial certification requirements for volunteer departments, Sitlington said.
“The province wants volunteer fire departments to be all at the same level,” he said.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office-required training brings volunteers up to the same level as paid firefighters, and must be completed or underway in 2025, he said.
Four volunteers so far with the station have completed the training, he said.
“And I’ve got three at the college right now.”
The money comes from Enbridge’s annual safe community project assistance program.
The program provided $125,0000 to 25 Ontario fire departments for training aids this year, said Suzanne Shea with the gas company.
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Warwick’s is the only department in Lambton this year receiving program funding, she said, noting 369 grants have been awarded since the program started in 2012.
“I’m proud to work for a company that does support local fire departments, like this one here,” said Shea, noting she grew up near Warwick.
“It makes me happy that I can go around and do this on behalf of the company,” she said.
Enbridge also provides smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to fire departments through its annual project zero program.
Sarnia and Plympton-Wyoming received donations earlier this year, as did departments in Petrolia and North Enniskillen, Point Edward, Oil Springs and Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, Shea said.
Some 14,500 alarms were being provided to 75 Ontario communities overall.
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Warwick’s department received 114 alarms through project zero in 2023and distributed them door to door, Sitlington said.
There are six left over, he said.
“We do keep them on the truck,” he said. “If we get a call for a CO alarm or something like that and find out it’s just the alarm itself, we’ll give them one.”
Warwick Mayor Todd Case said he appreciated the donation.
The money for training manuals would have otherwise come from the municipal budget, he said.
“We’re very grateful,” he said. “We value our partnership with Enbridge. . . and look forward to that partnership continuing for years to come.”
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