THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 24, 2026
18
Members of the fire crew pose in front of their emergency vehicle outside of the Koch Fertilizer plant in Brandon. (Supplied)
Ready When it Matters: Koch Fertilizer’s Safety Response Teams A t Koch Fertilizer in Brandon, the safety and “Prior to joining Koch I had some emer- gency response experience,” Berry said. “As soon as I had solid footing in my new role I knew I wanted to be part of that team.”
also train and share knowledge with local community first responders. This summer, the ERT led training for a simulated am- monia release with fire departments from nearby rural communities Elie and St. Fran- cis Xavier. Following additional training, Berry was appointed the plant’s deputy fire chief in May 2026. In this role, he’s active in the de- velopment of the Fire Brigade and works closely with other members to develop train- ing plans. Through his participation and leader- ship on the ERT and Fire Brigade, Berry said he is proud of the strong safety culture at Koch Fertilizer. “I feel fortunate to be at Koch and to help contribute to the response capabilities we’ve built,” Berry said. “As deputy chief, one of things I enjoy most is helping our members grow, gain confidence and develop the skills needed to respond safely and effectively.” “The commitment we have to keep our employees and the community safe is some- thing we all take very seriously every day,” Berry continued. From seasonal employee to deputy fire chief, Ryan Berry’s journey at Koch Fertiliz- er reflects a willingness to embrace new op- portunities and use them to serve others, all with the goal of being ready to respond when it matters most. ■
well-being of employees and the community is the plant’s number one priority, and two capabilities are central to that commitment: the Emergency Response Team and Fire Brigade. They aren’t widely known about in the community, but the ERT and Fire Brigade have been part of the safety efforts at Koch Fertilizer for decades. Neither team is called into action very often, but they’re highly trained and ready to respond when the un- expected happens. Ryan Berry, production shift supervisor at Koch Fertilizer, is a member of both the ERT and Fire Brigade. He joined the plant in 2019 as a seasonal employee to help load trucks and later earned a permanent role on the loading and transportation team before becoming transportation shift supervisor in 2021. It was during his time in this role that Ber- ry said he developed an interest in the ERT and put his name forward to join the team.
According to Berry, the ERT consists of 10-12 employees at a given time, and its pur- pose is to respond to off-site events involving an ammonia release by truck or rail. Berry also said Koch Fertilizer’s ERT is part of a broader mutual aid group that includes three other member companies. “All the members of the mutual aid group are fertilizer manufacturers,” Berry said. “We work together to cover all of Canada for emergency response needs involving am- monia releases.” In 2024, after three years as a member of the ERT, Berry moved into his current role as production shift supervisor and joined the Fire Brigade as a crew captain that same year. Berry said the Fire Brigade is a larger group than the ERT, made up of approximately 60 employees who are mostly plant operators. “We have four different crews, each with its own captain,” Berry said. “The crews are trained to respond specifically to on-site events including fires and am- monia releases.” As Berry outlined, it is essential for the teams to train on a regular basis to maintain these important response capabilities. Each Fire Brigade crew trains once a month for four hours ranging from basic
drills to more advanced exercises in full gear. At least once a year, the crews train at the Manitoba Emergency Services Col- lege, a facility in Brandon where firefight- ers are trained. Like the Fire Brigade, the ERT trains reg- ularly, including annual meetings with its mutual aid partners for joint exercises. They The commitment we have to keep our employees and the community safe is something we all take very seriously every day.” — RYAN BERRY, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF, KOCH FERTILIZER
Powered by FlippingBook