West Rainy River District Fire Department

03/26/2026

Just a little fire hall renovation fun!
Fresh new look to come!

03/23/2026

Thanks Hannah Marcotte and Chrissa Krahn, from West Rainy West Rainy River District Fire Department for completing NFPA 1041, and Chapple, Emo & La Vallee Fire & Emergency Services for hosting yet again! Looks like there are a whole bunch of new trainers on the block!

01/29/2026

It takes a team!

🔥 40 YEARS OF SERVICE 🔥

Congratulations and thank you to Andre for 40 years of dedicated service with the West Rainy River District Fire Department.

Tonight, Fire Board Chair and Mayor Deb Ewald and Dawson councillor Lew Kempf presented Andre with a plaque in recognition of this incredible milestone.

A huge shoutout as well to Wally Hartnell, who went above and beyond, and had Anthony Venables create a custom-cut sign created in Andre’s honour — thoughtfully marking the 40th anniversary of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion, which is incorporated into the design. Very cool and so well done.

Well done, Andre. Thank you for your continued service to our community. 🚒👏

11/23/2025

On behalf of the West Rainy River District Fire Department,
Dawson, Lake of the Woods, and Rainy River Stations, we want to extend our deepest appreciation to the West Rainy River District Lions Club for their incredible generosity and unwavering community support.

🔥 A total donation of $15,000 was made to our fire department — $5,000 for each of the municipalities that make up our 1/3 partnership:
🏘️ Township of Dawson
🌲 Township of Lake of the Woods
🌊 Town of Rainy River

After drafting a request letter for support, the Lions Club responded with an extraordinary level of generosity, we could not be more grateful. These funds will directly support the purchase of new fire-fighting equipment that will strengthen our operational effectiveness and benefit our communities for many years to come The equipment acquired will likely serve long after our time serving our communities — a legacy of safety and preparedness built through community collaboration.
One such item being a portable water monitor, which will greatly improve our capability in the event of a large scale fire, and lessen risk to firefighters.

We recognize how hard the Lions work to raise these funds, and we are humbled and honoured to be chosen as recipients. This donation reinforces what matters most: community supporting community, and the power of teamwork.

From all of us at the West Rainy River District Fire Department — thank you for believing in our mission and investing in the safety of our region.

West Rainy River District Lions — we are truly grateful.
Thank you for your generosity and dedication to our area communities.

11/11/2025

Lest we forget. Give thanks today for those who have and do serve our nation. A day to remember, and give thanks to those who fought for our freedom. Take a monent of silence to reflect.

11/02/2025

Firefighter 1 course Complete!
30 area fire department members recently completed FF1! 13 members from the West Rainy River Fire Department! Well done!

To the members of the West Rainy River District Fire Department — including the stations in Lake of the Woods, Dawson, and Rainy River —

Your commitment to completing Firefighter Level 1 demonstrates an incredible level of pride, professionalism, and dedication to our communities. Many of you have sacrificed personal time, vacation days, and family moments to train, learn, and show up — not just for yourselves, but for every resident who counts on us in an emergency. That commitment should not go unnoticed.

For some of us, this isn’t our first time working towards Firefighter certification. Some of us have found ourselves repeating this process to meet the NFPA standard that Ontario adopted nearly a decade ago. While that could have been discouraging, instead you chose perseverance, growth, and the continued pursuit of excellence. That speaks volumes about your integrity and your service.

A very special thank-you to Chapple, Emo, and La Vallee Fire Departments, Tyrell and Alyssa Griffith, James Klug, and Jordan Witske, for hosting and supporting the FF1 program. Your leadership, time, and effort were invaluable in making this training possible for our region.

Thank you all for your dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment to your departments and our community. We are stronger — and safer — because of you.

Stay safe, stay proud, and thank you for your service. 🔥🚒❤️
Chapple, Emo & La Vallee Fire & Emergency Services

11/01/2025

10/22/2025

Some great training! Let’s keep it up! Thanks to all involved! FF 1001! Weekend one!