RCMP manager reports ‘very good’ working relationships between first responders

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — RCMP Sergeant Dwayne Croll feels the Fort St. John detachment has an excellent relationship with other first responders in the region, which comes in handy during times like wildfire season.

Croll, the detachment’s operations support non-commissioned officer, appeared on the May 16th episode of This Week in the Peace as part of National Police Week, where he shared some insight into the working relationship between first responder groups.

“I can say firsthand, in Fort St. John, we have a very good relationship with the other first responders,” Croll said. 

“Obviously, the Fire Department and Emergency Health Services (EHS) [are important], and Search and Rescue (SAR) is invaluable. We have one of the best SAR groups I’ve ever worked with in my entire career, hands down.”

To highlight the value of the North Peace SAR team, Croll gave an example of a past wildfire near Charlie Lake.

“When they [the SAR team] mobilize, they’re invaluable. They’re very organized, very coordinated, so we’re able to serve evacuation orders or evacuation alerts very fluidly together.”

He also spoke about the recent Fish Creek Community Forest fire in early May. According to Croll, an RCMP dog handler was one of the first to discover the fire.

“Right away, it was all-hands-on-deck in our police department,” Croll said. “I was there that day as well. We coordinate it from the top level, but we’ll have our frontline members, our support unit, plainclothes, everybody comes together to work with the Fire Department.”

Croll says RCMP officers take over the responsibility of tactical evacuations from the Fire Department in the event of emergencies like the Fish Creek blaze, allowing them to focus strictly on the fire.

“In that particular incident, we identified an area that the fire may have encroached on, and immediately we conducted what we call a tactical evacuation, where we go house-to-house and we record those houses, get [the occupants] out of those houses, and then the city provides them with where to go.”

Croll says police officers also help with traffic control and ensuring residents give firefighters the room they need to work safely.

To view the full interview with Croll, look below.