After more than three decades with the Martensville Fire Department, including a dozen years as Fire Chief and five years as Deputy Chief, Kurtis Dyck has hung up his helmet.
Dyck’s last day of work with the fire department was Thursday, May 16.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Dyck in an interview on Wednesday, May 15, two days before he and his wife Terri (who not coincidentally, retired from her job as a bookkeeper the same day) left for Candle Lake, their long-time summer home that will now become their permanent residence.
“The sweet part is being able to retire in good health, but the sad part is I’m having to leave what has really been my second home here at the fire hall.
“It’s tough, quite frankly. I’ve almost changed my mind a few times. I’ll definitely miss the people I’ve worked with in this department, and also colleagues in neighbouring communities.”
Dyck, 57, is a life-long Martensville resident, having grown up in the community. He joined the Martensville Fire Department as a 23-year-old volunteer in 1990. In those days, the fire department still had a truck where firefighters stood on the tailboard as they raced out to the scene.
“The first call I attended was a house trailer fire in the RM outside of town,” said Dyck. “I remember it really well, probably because it was my first time. I realized then that this was what I wanted to do for a living.”
Dyck continued as a volunteer member of the Martensville Fire Department while also earning his certification as an Emergency Medical Technical (EMT) at SIAST in 1991.
“Back then, in order to be considered for the Saskatoon Fire Department you had to be an EMT,” said Dyck. “I got my EMT certification and hired on with the Saskatoon Fire Department in 1992 when I was 25. So I guess you could say firefighting has been my life.”
Dyck said his wife and family have always been supportive.
“That’s a big factor,” said Dyck. “For all emergency responders, you can’t do it without your family being behind you, because so often you miss out on regular family life.
“The first thing we tell new recruits is, ‘make sure your wife or husband is on board’ because it’s a big commitment not just on your part, but on your whole family’s part.”
Dyck said he drew on the examples of previous Fire Chiefs he served under, including Gerry Unger, John Balaszi and Goldie Ramage, when he took on the role of Deputy Fire Chief in 2007.
Ramage retired in 2012, and Dyck stepped into some big boots, but filled them well.
He said over the years, as the community has grown, the volume of emergency incidents and the types of calls the fire department responds to has increased. The number of firefighting personnel in the department has also grown, from an average of 20 volunteers in the early 1990s, to about 30 members now.
“We do a lot more medical calls now,” he said. “And the issues are similar to the big cities, just on a smaller scale.
“The demands on firefighters has increased,” he added. “I can’t emphasize enough that without the members, this department wouldn’t be what it is.”
Firefighting tactics have also changed dramatically, said Dyck.
“We used to smash out all the windows and ventilate the building,” he said. “But that just helped feed the fire, and it certainly increased the danger. Now we try to keep the building closed up till we have the fire out.”
Firefighters usually do an exterior attack on a fire, said Dyck, noting that while new building codes have increased fire safety, the flip side is that contemporary building materials tend to be much lighter and more flammable, and also tend to emit more toxic gases.
“Legacy buildings take longer to burn and the collapse time is longer because they’re solid wood,” said Dyck. “Floor joists now on new buildings are very light and they use a lot of glue, so they burn very fast and collapse quickly.”
The speed with which a fire can burn means its vitally important for residents and businesses to have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and to check and replace them regularly.
“You need smoke detectors in every bedroom,” said Dyck. “Not just on every floor.”
Dyck’s service to the community was recognized by Martensville City Councillors during a meeting on Tuesday, May 14.
“We can’t thank you enough for your long service,” said Martensville City Councillor Darren MacDonald at the meeting.
Dyck said he has tremendous confidence in his successor as Fire Chief, Dean Brooman, a long-time MFD member who has served as Deputy Fire Chief for several years.
“I’m leaving the department in good hands,” said Dyck. “I’m very happy that Dean is taking over, and I know he’ll look after the department. He loves it as much as I do.”