Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation opens new fire hall with hopes of strengthening fire staff
Jonas Ben Rich Fire Hall equipped with new gear, showers, Jaws of Life
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation's fire department has a new place to call home.
The Jonas Ben Rich Fire Hall opened its doors on June 15.
"I'd like to say thank you to Ben Jonas … for really pushing for this fire department to happen, to be built," said Sheshatshiu fire Chief Douglas Ashini.
Jonas Ben Rich was an advocate who called for Sheshatshiu to have its own fire department after his parents and some of his children died in a house fire, Ashini said. Rich died in 2018.
"He became a band councillor and then he really did push the process to have the fire department here," Ashini said. "He succeeded."
Sheshatshiu got its first fire department in 2010. However, it was housed in a garage without showers and proper dryers for firefighting gear.
"The old fire hall, the ceiling's gone, it's torn up, it was leaking. The fire truck barely fit in there," said Ashini. "The garage door was just the right amount of height. But it was in very, very poor condition."
In 2020, Ashini got the call from Indigenous Affairs that his department was approved for a new building.
"It's kind of sad that he isn't alive to see this building, but I'm quite proud to have his son to the grand opening for this fire department," Ashini said.
Rich's son took part in the celebration, taking a ride in the Sheshatshiu fire truck. The building is named in Rich's memory.
The new headquarters contains a large garage, stalls for each firefighter, new fireproof gear, a new electric Jaws of Life for cutting through metal, washers, dryers and a specialty dryer for firefighting gear to remove the toxins that can become embedded in gear from a house fire. It also has a meeting room, lounge, kitchen and bedroom.
Ashini said it's important the firefighters have a place to rest and debrief with each other after a house fire.
But the fire hall is just one step in building the department, Ashini said.
This summer there are people travelling to Sheshatshiu from the other Atlantic provinces to train more firefighters on the pumper truck.
"Everybody's welcome to come and join. If they don't know how to fight fire, at least they will help out with laying out the hoses or giving somebody a hand," Ashini said.
"As long as they're helping, because it's very exhausting when you fight fires."
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