High River firefighters, involved in flood response, presented with outdoor gear

While Southern Alberta fire crews raced to assist residents during June’s flooding, many firefighters lost their homes to the rising water.

On Wednesday, High River’s firefighters were the recipients of a welcome surprise.

Members of the High River Fire Department and their families drove to Edmonton under the belief they would be retrieving equipment for the station.

On arrival, the crews were greeted by the hosts of The Outdoor Network’s Wild TV who presented the firefighters with hunting and fishing gear to replace some of the items they lost in the flood.

The surprise was arranged by a fellow firefighter

“Probably better than 75 per cent of my staff, including myself and the chief, have been affected one way or another by the flood,” says High River Deputy Fire Chief Trevor Allan.

"I didn't really know what was going on today, walked in here, Wild T.V.,” says the H.R.F.D.’s John Badduke. “I'm speechless, I've been speechless a lot the last nine weeks.”