Even though multiple reports have been out for months, Colby, Abbotsford, and Dorchester Fire Departments haven’t waited to find out what went wrong during the March fire that killed on firefighter and injured two others at the Abby Theatre in Abbotsford.
Instead they’ve been working to make sure that what happened never happens again. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health had their first report in July showing a lack of coordination and communication between the fire departments.
A second report from the Firefighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program backed what federal investigators found. Since the tragedy, the three stations have trained monthly to make everything run smoother.
Chief Jody Apfelbeck told NewsChannel 7, “We’ve been doing mutual aid practice every month. Getting the fire stations together and running drills while cutting down on unnecessary radio traffic. We have lots more communication between the three departments.”