Saturday’s partial bridge collapse at Buffalo Pound Lake, north of Moose Jaw, presents more than just an inconvenience for motorists, it could add travel times for emergency crews in case of an emergency.
The jurisdiction Moose Jaw Fire Department covers extends as far north as the North Grove on the north shore of Buffalo Pound Lake. However, due to the temporary bridge closure on Highway 2, firefighters do not have as easy access to the small lakefront community than normally they would.
On Monday, Chief Garth Palmer told the Times-Herald there are alternate routes fire crews could take to reach the north side of Buffalo Pound in case of an emergency, but such routes could add as much as 25 minutes to the trip.
“Absolutely it is a problem,” he said, adding the fire department is working with fire departments north of the lake, which could possibly help out in case of an emergency.
Fortunately, Palmer said the need for firefighter assistance in the small Moose Jaw-area community is rare, but occasionally emergencies do happen.
For more on this story, read an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
