Richardson’s Pioneer in Vermilion donated $55,000 to the Vermilion Fire & Rescue Society on September 26. The donation was made possible through a Richardson Foundation grant, and as a result the Vermilion Fire Department (VFD) purchased a side-by-side and is awaiting the arrival of a new skid and trailer in a couple of weeks. They will be used for fire and rescue calls as well as for wild land fires both surrounding Vermilion, throughout the county, and possibly further away. Firefighter Kevin Martin pointed out that the trailer will be equipped with a generator, heat, cots, extra clothing and food provisions and will act as a command centre. Noting that rest and rehabilitation is sometimes required with weather and duration of calls, Lieutenant Travis Warman added, “We did a search and rescue last year that drug out 38 hours.” Manager of Richardson Pioneer in Vermilion was thrilled to be able to offer the support and said, “The Richardson Foundation is very supportive of fire departments and the communities that we live and work in. In general, this donation will help to create more capacity for our local fire department to service our community and how they can respond to certain calls. As a rural community, we rely heavily on our local Fire & Rescue team to support us during emergency situations. We feel that putting these specialized tools into the hands of our local Fire & Rescue Department is a meaningful contribution to the community, our staff, and customers that are working and living in the rural Vermilion area.” “On behalf of the Town of Vermilion, we certainly appreciate what Richardson has done for us. This will certainly enhance their ability to protect people and property,” said Deputy Mayor, Robert Pulyk. County Reeve, Dale Swyripa, went on to thank Richardson Pioneer for their generous donation and said, “This unit allows opportunities to provide additional service for both accessing and surveying areas where trucks are unable as well as providing to the community when our budgets don’t allow. A donation like this is incredible; it’s much appreciated.”
