The Fort McMurray Victim Services Unit is celebrating 25 years of providing services to the community. The unit was first formed in the 1980s as a non profit group dedicated to helping local people who were victims of crime, tragedy, or other types of trauma. Today the unit includes 6 full time staff plus a number of volunteers, and it is part of the law enforcement department of the municipality. According to 6 year unit veteran Kim Timmons the transition was needed because of the vital service provided by the unit to the community.
Timmons explained that the Fort McMurray Victim Services Unit addressed a specific community need, saying “It spoke volumes to the necessity of the service and how critical it is to the well being of everyone here. When you go home at the end of the day and you lighten the burden for someone else [who is] probably in their worst hours of life, than that’s the good feeling you take home. That’s what makes you come to work the next day.” Kim stated that the hardest part of her job is notifying loved ones about a fatality, saying “That’s something I’ve never gotten accustomed to.” The unit operates out of the Timberlea RCMP detachment, and they are called in for assistance by the RCMP officers whenever a traumatic incident is reported or investigated. RCMP supt. Rob McCloy supports the Fort McMurray Victim Services Unit , saying “They are our compassionate helping hands.” Many people in the community have had contact with the unit, and members do what they can to help lessen the trauma that the crime victims and their families go through.