Latest news with #CalgaryFireDepartment
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
200+ employees evacuated after acid spill in S.E. Calgary industrial area
A building in an industrial area in southeast Calgary was evacuated on Wednesday afternoon after several hundred litres of liquid acid were spilled. The Calgary Fire Department's (CFD) hazardous materials team was dispatched to the 6900 block of 55 Street S.E. around 12:15 p.m. for the spill. More than 200 employees were evacuated from the building. CFD said the room the spill happened in was built for containment. Crews were able to plug the leak to slow it down and identify the substance. '(The) spill has been contained and CFD crews are waiting for an independent contractor to mitigate the remainder of the spill,' a CFD spokesperson said in a statement. No injuries were reported because of the spill.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Parts of Calgary Zoo temporarily closed due to small grass fire
The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo was forced to temporarily close some areas on Monday due to a small grass fire. In a social media post, the zoo said the fires have since been extinguished. 'The outdoor loop from Destination Africa through to Land of Lemurs is temporarily closed due to small spontaneous grass fires near the African lion habitat,' the zoo said in the post. The zoo said the lion habitat will remain closed but reassured guests that the animals are safe and have been moved indoors. 'We appreciate your understanding and co-operation as we prioritize the safety of our animals, staff and visitors,' the zoo said. The Calgary Fire Department is monitoring the area for any remaining hot spots.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- CTV News
2 extricated from vehicle following southeast Calgary crash
Calgary police say a driver and a child had to be extricated from the wreckage of their vehicle following a crash on Tuesday morning. At 9 a.m., a vehicle crashed into a fire hydrant in the 1200 block of 59 Avenue S.E. before hitting a tree, which fell onto the vehicle. The Calgary Fire Department was called to help the driver and their passenger, a child, out of the vehicle. Both victims were taken to hospital in stable condition.
Calgary Herald
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Calgary Herald
Why the Calgary Fire Department doesn't 'buy Canadian' as trade war with U.S. continues
Despite a movement to 'buy Canadian' amid the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States, it's virtually impossible for the Calgary Fire Department to support local when procuring new vehicles. Article content Article content That's because most fire truck manufacturing is based in the United States, said Calgary fire Chief Steven Dongworth. And due to 'industry consolidation,' he added there are only a few large suppliers the Calgary Fire Department can source vehicles from. Article content Article content 'There's only so many choices, especially when you're a large department,' Dongworth said. 'There's certainly some more custom and smaller companies, but when you're the size of a metropolitan-size department, as Calgary is, you end up having the larger suppliers bid because they're the only ones that have the capacity to build in that volume.' Article content Article content Three U.S. companies now control most of North America's fire truck manufacturing sector: REV Group, Oshkosh Corp. and Rosenbauer. Dongworth speculated their cornering of the market may be why fire trucks cost significantly more now than they did pre-pandemic, and why the wait times for those engines to arrive in Calgary can last upwards of four years. Article content '(Consolidation) often leads to price increases, I think, because it decreases competition in some ways,' Dongworth said. Article content A recent New York Times investigation, in the wake of the California wildfires that ravaged parts of Los Angeles in January, delved into the role private equity firms have played in the shrinking ownership concentration of the fire truck manufacturing sector. Article content The industry's consolidation has spurred an investigation, launched earlier this month, by two U.S. senators — Democrat Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, and Republican Jim Banks, of Indiana. Their bipartisan probe will zero in on a private equity firm called American Industrial Partners (AIP), which acquired four of the largest fire truck manufacturers in the U.S. before consolidating them into REV Group.
Calgary Herald
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Calgary Herald
'Emotional experience': Former Calgary fire truck arrives in Guatemala
A firetruck that saved lives in Calgary for over a decade will do the same near Quetzaltenango, Guatemala after it arrived there this month. Article content Article content Ferdinand is the name given to the former Calgary Fire Department engine that was given to Calgary Rotarians, for eventual donation to fight fires in the Central American city. Article content After a five-year wait mired with pandemic-related delays and the complexities of crossing multiple borders, Ferdinand arrived in the country's capital, Guatemala City, on April 9. Article content Article content It was then driven three hours to Quetzaltenango, where it will primarily serve the nearby municipality of La Esperanza. Article content Article content 'I'm so thrilled that it's actually got there . . . it's been a struggle at times,' said Barbara Young, a Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown member. Article content Young received the initial request for the engine in 2019 from Marco Herrera, a Rotarian in Guatemala. Article content 'They have a volunteer fire department in Quetzaltenango, and they needed a fire truck,' Young said. Article content La Esperanza's volunteer fire brigade was relying on an engine from 1960, which has many issues, according to Herrera. Article content Article content With borders closed and much of the world at a standstill, Ferdinand had no home — at least not yet. Article content 'When they took delivery of the truck, they needed a place to store it . . . I said, well, I'm sure we can find the spot out here,' Bill Redmond, a Rotarian and owner at Bucars RV Centre, told Postmedia. Article content Article content Although the shop just north of Calgary was meant as a temporary home for Ferdinand, it housed the engine up until it was shipped away this year. Article content 'The truck ended up being out here longer than we'd anticipated, and was kind of adopted by our staff,' said Redmond, noting that they took care of regular maintenance. Article content According to Redmond, CFD was helpful in providing any information needed, including where to source parts. Rocky View County Fire Services even came to test the engine's pumps.
