By Josef Rosenberg
They always say, “Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.” I believe that in the recent past, I have been caught wishing for a warm, sunny spring in Alberta.
Oh how joyous it would be!
Green grass, rolling meadows, chirping birds flitting to and fro, and excavators rumbling out to support our great province’s infrastructure with haste and gusto.
Well I was right; too right in fact. It got warm. It got hot. It got sunny. It did not rain. Subsequently, Alberta was plunged into an early year fire crisis unseen in modern times (the last major fires in the province and surrounding provinces have typically been in June-August). These kinds of natural disasters are catastrophic to our province and its populace, and take a significant toll on underground infrastructure as well. Massive amounts of coordination and human effort are required to not only fight and control the fires, but also ensure the maintenance and continuity of underground utility services.
Locators and utility workers tirelessly labour to ensure that utilities are kept intact when an area is evacuated and are subsequently usable for residents when they return to the community. In conjunction with the Contact Centre, firefighters organize the construction of firebreaks and utility shut-offs to minimize damage to both above-ground and underground infrastructure, and to slow the spread of unyielding fires.
The heroic outcome of these efforts results in a safe and liveable province that we are all proud to call our own. USP will always work diligently with safety crews to ensure the care and well-being of Alberta.
Tragedy binds community. Give to the Red Cross fire aid and get matched by the government:
https://donate.redcross.ca/page/127799/donate/1