Meet our Members: Colin Hanes
This week on Meet our Members, we interview Colin Hanes!
CFR: Could you provide a brief background of your fire service career?
All I wanted to do was drop off a Christmas tree! Almost 4 years ago I brought my Christmas tree to the hall to get chipped, after a brief tour of the hall and chat with Capt. Stevens I walked home with an application and thought in 8 months maybe I'll get a call to come out. A week later I had an interview with the Chiefs, 2 weeks later I was at my first practice, a year and a half later I passed my NFPA and got my black helmet. Since then its been none stop training, learning, and giving back to the community.
CFR: Was there any specific event that first interested you in becoming a fire fighter?
Nothing specific, but deep down I'm still a kid at heart and love playing with toys...and we've got some big toys to play with! At the same time, when I moved to Comox I wanted to join a group or organization to volunteer my time with. After checking out the coast guard and search and rescue, I found my home with Comox Fire.
CFR: What is your favorite part of volunteering for Comox Fire Rescue (or working in the valley in general)?
Great team, great facility, and a great community I'm proud to donate my time and effort to. As a relative newcomer in the Comox Valley, the team at Comox Fire Rescue have become my extended family!
CFR: Outside of the fire department, what are your interests/hobbies?
Professional - Real Estate. As a REALTOR (www.ColinHanes.ca), selling homes in the Comox Valley is a dream...where else would you want to live! Personal - Snowboarding, hiking, squash, ultimate frisbee, spending time with my wife and twin girls.
CFR: What are some major changes you have seen in the fire service industry during your career?
In my short career, the advancements in technology have been amazing. From the addition of iPads and paperless forms in the hall to the use of apps like Active911.
CFR: If you could change one thing about the fire service, what would it be?
Speed of response. While our response time is still quite good, I think that time impacts everything we do and the longer it takes to get to the scene the greater the risks to everyone involved. Whether responding to a car accident, medical emergency, or a fire call, if we can improve response time we can improve our chances of a positive outcome. And this is more of a constant evolution then a change which we're seeing with improved technology through apps like Active911, and I'm sure we'll see in the future with advance smoke alarms in homes.
Thank you, Colin, for your dedication and enthusiasm!