From January 1 to July 31, the Dauphin Fire Department responded to 171 calls for service.
That's an eight percent increase over the same time period in 2025.
Cam Abrey is Dauphin's Fire Chief.
"We've seen slight increases from year to year," said Abrey. "We still have a few months left in the year. We could come out at par with previous years. With the fire service, we always hope there is an increase from year to year. With that said, we're not too concerned about it at this time."
The second-largest number of incidents continues to be motor vehicle collisions. The DFD responded to 33 calls. That's 19 percent of their responses.
False alarms remained the largest call for service during the first seven months of the year. The department responded to 51 incidents. That's 30 percent of calls.
Abrey said responding to false alarms is frustrating, to say the least.
"We are not a full-time fire department. Individuals are leaving their family commitments, jobs, everything else to respond," he added. "We suit up, get on the trucks, and respond. It's due in part to construction dust, humidity, or a variety of different things that can cause a false alarm."
The devastating flood that hit Dauphin and the Parkland on July 1 was an extremely busy day for the DFD. They responded to 18 separate incidents.
13 were specifically for callers reporting flood-related incidents. The remainder were for lift assist, downed hydro lines, mutual-aid assistance, and evacuation of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre. While this year's event was an anomaly for Abrey and his crew, it wasn't a first.
In October 2018, wind speeds reached more than 120 kilometres per hour. That caused several grass fires, downed power lines, and trees falling through power lines. They responded to 17 incidents in 24 hours. The DFD, Gilbert Plains, Ochre River, and Sifton Fire Departments all responded in various areas.
When it comes to staffing, Abrey says they're in a great spot. 16 members will take part in Level 1 firefighter training this fall. Overall, they're sitting at 40 members. That's the highest they've had in several years.
While they are full, if you are interested in becoming a firefighter, don't hesitate to reach out. Cam says you can be put on a waiting list and the call could come your way. Abrey says they have a great complement of firefighters.
In his words, it takes something special to dedicate yourself to the number of hours required for training to become a firefighter. In order to become a Level 1, you have to do a minimum of 200 hours.
"And then there is all the specialty courses that occur," added Abrey. "It adds up, and some people don't have that time commitment. It takes a special something. A lot of commitment and dedication. My hat's off to the members we have."
The DFD features firefighters who have been on the post for one month up to almost 60 years.
The Department is thanking Cameron Popiel for his time. He recently resigned and moved to Brandon. Popiel joined the DFD in March of 2018 and quickly rose through the ranks. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2022 and then Captain in 2025.
