Officials with Southwest Design and Construction, Town of Coaldale, and Palliser School Division. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Jerran Fisher

$5K donated to Coaldale’s fire and emergency services academy

Feb 12, 2022 | 5:00 AM

COALDALE, AB – Southwest Design and Construction has donated $5,000 to the Kate Andrews Fire and Emergency Services Academy.

Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn sends his appreciation to Southwest Design, and says he is excited for the future.

“I am thrilled to see so many students taking advantage of this exceptional program.”

The academy is a dual-credit program run jointly through the Coaldale Fire Department, Palliser Regional Schools, and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

“Palliser firmly believes that young people should have opportunities to engage in learning beyond the traditional classroom,” says Dave Driscoll, Superintendent, Palliser School Division. “The Kate Andrews Fire Academy allows students in Coaldale to gain valuable skills and knowledge that will
further serve them in the years ahead”

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The donation will be put towards personal protective equipment, course supplies, and renting live-fire training centres located in Lethbridge and Taber for the class of 2022-23.

Southwest Design and Construction were contracted to renovate the fire hall where the program is taught.

Blayne Janssens, General Manager of Southwest Design, said “being selected to build the new firehall project, which we feel is a real landmark for the Town of Coaldale & surrounding communities that the fire department serves was a real honor. We have employees that live in the community and we [are] proud to have the opportunity to give back to the local fire department.”