The past five years have been quite an interesting time for Mike Andriatz, who stepped down as fire chief for the town of Bashaw.
Andriatz has been a member of the Bashaw Fire Department since 1993, though he did take a break for a few years before coming back in 2006. He was bumped up to chief from deputy chief in the fall of 2013 after Russ Garbe resigned his position before moving away.
And while he could have easily had another term as chief, Andriatz felt the time was right for a change.
“I really enjoyed my time as chief and I think I accomplished a lot,” he said, “but it’s time for someone else to take the reins.”
He also believes that it can be a bad thing for a chief to be in too long and that sometimes it’s good to refresh the personnel at the top.
“Historically, the fire service has tended to be resistant to a lot of change, but it can be good for fire departments to change,” Andriatz added.
“Training can become stagnant and people then just give up because no one wants to do anything.”
There are a few achievements that Andriatz finds most gratifying during his time as chief.
The first has more to do with the town and area residents — given the donations and help the department has received over the years.
“What really stands out for me is the great support from the community for fire departments, especially in rural Alberta,” he stated.
“It never failed to amaze me, time and time again, and Bashaw has been really awesome in that way.”
Andriatz is also proud of being able to have a new rescue truck delivered to the department — a significant upgrade for a rather reasonable expense — as well as strengthen the number of firefighters from 18 to around 30, while also boosting the training available to them.
“I’m certainly proud of building the roster up from when I started to now along with all of the training we’ve been able to accomplish,” he said.
“As well, the equipment used now is miles ahead of where it used to be, especially when it comes to personal protective equipment. Firefighters are far better protected from hazards now than they ever have been.”
He added that going into a fire without proper gear and coming out with soot on their face — what was called ‘the badge of honour’ — is not part of how things are done now. Even small departments are implementing decontamination procedures for gear and other equipment in order to reduce exposure to cancer-causing contaminants.
“That enhanced training is what every fire department is talking about now. Bashaw is very fortunate to have a new chief who is a member of Edmonton Fire Rescue, someone who has gone through their career firefighter training. To be able to bring all of that knowledge back to Bashaw is a huge development,” Andriatz said.
“Additionally, the 1001 online training brought in by David Zayonce (from Camrose County regional fire services coordinator) has also accomplished so much. Communities are moving forward with a more compressed training program as opposed to the old S-series courses. Those were delivered one subject at a time, in bits and pieces, and could take several years to finish.”
Andriatz will remain as a firefighter in Bashaw and is committed to responding to calls and taking in practices. However, until later this year, he is taking a well-deserved break to think about what role he will continue to play on the department.
