Battling fire and ice: How Regina firefighters cope with the cold

When they’re called to fight fires under dangerously cold conditions, firefighters are sometimes caught between battling two extreme elements: Fire and ice.

Stepping into the fire hall of Station 4 on Dewdney Avenue, the day shift crew was warm and relaxed between calls on Tuesday afternoon. Unlike some outdoor workers, they don’t have any option to cancel a job or stay inside in cold weather. They’re ready for a call to face the elements on a moment’s notice on the front lines of any emergency.

Like anyone working outside this week, the firefighters wear as many layers as they can to stay warm. The difference is their gear and equipment has to stand up to extreme heat at the same time.

Capt. Scott Goldie with the 4A crew said it’s the water they use to fight the flames that creates a whole new challenge on the job. He said the equipment can freeze up, including the facepieces of their breathing apparatus.

Regina Fire and Protective Services rotates crews and brings out a heated camper van or operational support unit to provide the chance to warm up. But Goldie said many of his crew members will hold out as long as they can before taking any kind of break.

Regina Fire and Protective Services Crew 4A: Goldie Scott, Matthew Didowycz, Blair Panagabko, Alex Benson inside the fire hall at Station 4 on Dewdney Ave on January 14, 2020. (Adriana Christianson/ 980 CJME)

“You’ll get a layer of ice on you and then you’re really frozen up but as long as you can move, you don’t want to go and thaw out,” Goldie said, explaining why firefighters hold out as long as they can in the cold. “We’ll get a rehab unit out there and you can go and warm up but as soon as you do that, that layer of ice thaws and then you’re cold for the rest of the time.

Deputy Fire Chief Neil Sundeen will never forget his coldest fire call early in his career back in the ’90s.

“Our air packs were freezing up and we were literally so covered in ice that when we got back to the fire hall, we had to use a garden hose and hose each other off to get the ice off because there were two inches of ice everywhere on us,” he recalled while swapping cold-weather stories with a day shift crew at the station. “Our helmets we couldn’t get off, our clothes we couldn’t get off. It was just a hectic time.”

Remembering what it was like to deal with conditions that were so cold his gloves froze up so badly that he couldn’t climb a ladder, Sundeen highlighted that safety is always a top priority, and that includes preventing frostbite.

While some technology and gear has improved — including the enclosed cabs of the fire engines — Sundeen said the cold still presents major challenges. If you think your car sounds bad starting up in this weather, imagine adding a fire hose with running water.

“All kinds of mechanical issues come up when it’s super cold. Our trucks freeze to the ground and if trucks sit without circulating water, they’ll actually freeze solid and we’ve had pipes freeze and crack,” he said.

Responding to motor vehicle accidents also poses different challenges as emergency service members stay mindful of the risk of frostbite and hypothermia for the injured people involved.

Dealing with frigidly cold conditions on the prairies may be difficult at times, but Sundeen and the crew at Station 4 keep the cold in perspective.

“It could always be worse. It could be 49.5 (degrees) C like those poor firefighters down in Sydney (Australia),” Sundeen commented. “My heart goes out to them. I just can’t imagine.”