Timmins Fire Department receives donation for training

Enbridge Gas donates $5,000 to Timmins Fire Department October 17, 2019. (Sergio Arangio/CTV Northern Ontario)

Enbridge Gas made its latest round of donations to local fire departments as part of its ‘Project Assist’ program.

The company presented the Timmins Fire Department with $5,000 to help with training costs for its firefighters.

Derek Byrnes, the fire department’s training officer, said additional funding is always needed and that this donation would be particularly useful for natural gas emergency training.

"I had the privilege of going down to Enbridge’s training facility in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) last fall, so we’re going to be integrating some of that programming into our training here this coming year in 2020," he said. "These funds will certainly help us purchase some resources and allocate it towards that training specifically."

Enbridge’s donation is part of the company’s Ontario-wide donation of $100,000 spread across 20 fire departments.

"As part of our efforts to promote natural gas safety, we are committed to supporting the people that keep our communities safe," said Andrew Kitaj, utility and construction advisor for Enbridge Gas.

With the company also offering education opportunities and workshops for first responders, Kitaj said it’s important to have an ongoing relationship with fire departments to encourage best practices when dealing with natural gas emergencies.