Redvers, Carlyle Fire Departments awarded Premier’s Commendation Medallion
January 5, 2026, 11:18 am
Nicole Taylor, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Redvers and Carlyle Fire Departments have each received a Premier’s Commendation at a ceremony in Regina on December 2 for their roles in helping to fight the wildfires in northern Saskatchewan.
Multiple members of Redvers Fire and Rescue and the Carlyle Fire Department traveled to Northern Saskatchewan to assist in fighting off a historically destructive wildfire season.
Redvers Fire Chief Brad Hutton attended the awards and accepted it on his department’s behalf.
“The Premier’s Commendation is for going above and beyond to protect and serve your community, and it was awarded to the whole department. There were also individual pins given to each individual that went up north to help as well,” said Hutton.
“There were four of us that went up north. We took our tanker truck, which is a 2,000 gallon pumper unit, and we were placed an hour and a half north of Prince Albert at Weyakwin. We patrolled along Highway 2 and helped protect the village of Weyakwin, and prevented fire from getting to those structures. We also went to Ramsey Bay, and the area east of Montreal Lake, and protected structures out that way.
“I was there in 2015, and then we mostly did protection of villages and sprinkler systems, but this time we did a lot more work with SPSA and other crews in the area to get in and put out fires.
“Being that we had the tanker truck, we spent a good amount of time wetting down properties and keeping ponds full for sprinkler systems, and then we were also mixing up a fire-retardant substance with water and spraying down power poles and entire structures with it.”
Hutton says that the work was at times intense.
“One night when we were east of Montreal Lake and we went out after supper, we were driving on a real tight one-way road through all of the smoke and ash. It was pretty scary that night. Once we got in there we were starting to put out some of the smaller fires and wondering how we were planning to get back out. Our last resort was always jumping in the lake if it all went bad.”
The experience, Hutton said, was something he’s proud to have been a part of.
“There’s obviously a lot of good experiences that come out of bad experiences. Numerous departments like Warman, Martensville, we worked with Lumsden quite a bit, Humbolt—as bad as a situation is you learn a lot of new faces and you work as a group and as a family. You’re not just protecting the land and buildings, you’re protecting each other.”
He said the decision to help up north was a tough one, but the right one in the end.
“We saw that the call came out, and a few guys decided that we should go and try to help however we can. I was quite busy at the time, my Fire Chiefs’ Conference was supposed to be the weekend after, so I was a bit hesitant to go at first. After I thought about it, I ended up putting my name in to SPSA. I’ve been on the Saskatchewan Fire Chiefs Board for four years so I know the SPSA president pretty well and he was the one spearheading this. I sent him a message and said I have myself and at least a couple other guys and a tanker truck and that we were willing to come. Little did I know that I’d be packing my bags three hours later to leave the next morning.”
Hutton says that while it was his second time doing something like this, it was a first for the department.
“Three or four of us went in 2015, but not with our own equipment. We teamed up and went with a few Carlyle guys that time,” he says.
In Hutton’s words, the Premier’s Commendation awards “caught us completely by surprise”
“First of all, you never really expect anything, we’re just doing it because we want to help and it’s the right thing to do. Getting the award was a real honour. Just that feeling of knowing what you’re doing is helping and that someone has your back is really nice. Thy are also trying to plan for the future and making sure that other people will be willing to step up to the plate if something comes this way again,” he said.
Hutton said that the ceremony took place at the Legislative building, and that the group of representatives from each department being awarded was invited into the Legislative assembly for the sitting.
“We were introduced in during the sitting and we were commended for bravery and service to the province.”
The Premier’s Commendation Medallion existed from 2012 to 2018, and was brought back early in 2025. Premier Scott Moe has said that the award is given to “those whose actions exemplify courage, responsibility and service to others.”
During the awards ceremony, Premier Moe said, “Those honoured today responded decisively in moments of great need, demonstrating the strength of character and commitment that uphold the values of our province.”
Don VanMeer accepted the medallion on behalf of the Carlyle Fire Department. He says Carlyle had rotating crews that went up north, including firefighters from the surrounding towns.
"When it all started I contacted our volunteer association to see if they knew if they were looking for help or not and they confirmed back that they were," he says. "Then I got a call from Howard Jorgenson, he was looking after stuff up north from the volunteer side. We had a truck up there in 2015 and it was the same truck that could go up and he called me back about an hour later and asked if we could have that truck up there in the morning with four guys.
"And they wanted our tanker and I knew Redvers had a tanker so I called Brad (Hutton) in Redvers.
"Within 24 hours we sent both units up north.
"We had the man power and equipment and we could help out. We're fairly well looked after in this area and we have extra equipment and had guys who were trained firefighters for 15 or 20 years and I put it out to them if they wanted to go, and we sent some guys up.
"It's pretty overwhelming to be able to pull it all together and do it.
"We ended up 52 days in the north, 56 days that truck worked, and we just kept switching up guys from different departments, so we sent them up there with the truck. At times there were other departments completely running our truck.
"It was an overwhelming summer keeping it organized. We are all trained at that same level. It was pretty educational but it was good. It was good to see that volunteer association come together."
He says the Premier's Commendation was a big honor.
"It's pretty prestigious in our sense of what we do. It was nice to be noticed and even more nice for the guys that took the time from their families and went up there and took the time.
"It was pretty awesome. It was overwhelming to go into the Legislature and see all the members of the Legislature stand up and show their appreciation to the people of the volunteer association who took time to do it.
"Everybody came home, that was the main thing, and we appreciate the SPSA looking after the guys up there as well. They were feeding them and looking after them and making sure they came in at night, and making sure they got home."
Carlyle Fire Chief Ken Hewitt was one of the people who went up north. There were seven firefighters who went up north over a month and a half.
"We tried to send a four man crew at all times," he says.
"The first time, two of our guys and a truck and two from Redvers went with their tanker and that was our four man crew. We were up there for 10 days the first time and then kept switching guys out. We had two or three from Carnduff, one from Manor, one from Swift Current who were with us or running our trucks.
"For some of them it was very intense. When I was up there it was more near the tail end. The first batch got in on some pretty good fires. The first few were looking after assets homes and power poles and anything that has a cash value to it."
Why did they do it?
"It's part of the fire department, we are here to serve," says Hewitt.
"They were looking for trucks bad, they needed manpower and trucks up there. It was a good experience."
He said it was also a learning experience.
"I learned that you can throw together five different fire departments from different areas of the province and they all come together and work together as if they've worked together forever. It's amazing how people just come together that are all like minded and just hop in and go to work. No questions asked, you ask somebody else to do something and it gets done. You can tell that everyone trains to a similar level and it all works, it's quite phenomenal to see.
"I was quite happy and very proud that we got the commendation, because they don't just give those out to anybody. The department was very proud to get it."
Hewitt says if there is a wildfire season again next year, Carlyle Fire Department is ready for it.
"We've already got our name in," he says. "All we have to do is say the word and they'll start packing their bags."
