WEYBURN, Sask. — The Estevan Fire Rescue Service played a big role in helping Michael Wock’s development as a firefighter while preparing him for his latest opportunities.
Wock has been a firefighter for about 15 years. He started as a paid on-call member in Naples City, Utah, for about six years, and then when he moved back to Canada from the U.S., he joined the EFRS for seven years and was a lieutenant when his time in Estevan ended.
He moved to Weyburn when he was hired as the city's deputy fire chief in June 2025 and became the acting chief a short time later when the chief went on leave.
Wock said he has been busy since joining the WFS. He had to get to know the new crew of firefighters and their skills and abilities. Then he had to build on the city’s department.
“My biggest focus has been fleet renewal and training, so trying to get our crews acclimated to a different type of training schedule and challenging their skill sets a little bit more," said Wock.
The WFS currently has four full-time firefighters, 23 paid on-call members, a chief and a deputy chief.
“Everyone has their own skill set. We have a lot of long-standing members here, so there’s a wealth of knowledge right on the floor. They’re willing to step up and train a lot of the up-and-coming crews.”
The two cities have a lot in common, he said. They train weekly and it’s a close-knit group.
“Whether they’re training or out doing community service, they all step up and give it their all. Everyone appreciates the community we live in, so it’s just our way of giving back,” said Wock.
The administration at the Estevan fire hall was quite open to Wock furthering his career and offered courses that would prepare him for a bigger role, Wock said. He has kept in contact with the leadership team in Estevan.
“We’re just down the road from each other and we still have that really good working relationship, which I think helps assist both communities. If there’s a requirement for mutual aid, there’s a comfort level with both departments, and we’re always working together through different training options and sharing knowledge back and forth.”
The fire department is a big family, he said, so even though he’s no longer in Estevan, the ties are still strong with those he worked with in the past. They attend a lot of training together and work together to boost their knowledge. They have also trained together for hazardous materials certification in Weyburn and have an upcoming training session in Estevan.
Working together creates full classes and helps them know how each other functions.
Weyburn will be hosting the Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association’s fall training school, which will bring people from across the province to the city to further their skills. Wock is looking forward to the provincial gathering.
