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Scrap metal drive fundraising for firefighter gear

The Huntsville Firefighters Association has kicked off its annual scrap metal drive.

Huntsville Lake of Bays firefighter Shawn Dickey says the association will use the funds for equipment that lets the department go above and beyond in their duties.

“We buy sort of supplementary equipment that the town hasn’t provided,” says Dickey. “For example, last fundraiser it went to purchase a rapid deployment craft. So it’s basically adding tools to the toolbox that we use to protect the community.”

The rapid deployment craft is an inflatable boat which lets firefighters rescue people in the water without jeopardizing their own safety.

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“It’s important because it increases our capability and our capacity to do different things. Without say, that boat, it would be a lot more difficult to do rescues in ice water,” says Dickey. “It allows us to send out two firefighters on the boat to actually pick people out of the water, rather than having to try to swim out. So it’s quite an important piece of gear that we’ve added to our toolbox.”

The bin is located at the department’s Fire Hall at 1 Payne Drive, and was provided by Aces Waste Management, with all scrap proceeds going to the association.

Dickey says they’ll take just about anything metal, such as car parts, corrugated metal panels, and old electrical equipment. He asks that people do not throw non-metal garbage in the bin, as it costs money to remove.

According to Dickey, the drive started up during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the association was forced to cancel its other fundraising activities.

Dickey says the bin will stay there until the snow starts to fall, sometime around October. He adds that cash or cheque donations can be made at any time at the Fire Hall during business hours, or by contacting the association’s Facebook page.

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