Comox Fire Rescue: New Vehicle
A great big "Thank you!" to Comox Valley Dodge for sponsoring yet another vehicle for our fire department! Wow, is this thing ever spacious!
CFR Year End Banquet
Comox Fire Rescue celebrated another great year last weekend with our annual banquet night! We were honoured to be joined by mayor Paul Ives, council members, and fire department chaplain Laurence Burns. It was a great evening with many shared stories, excellent food, and dancing to live music!
Each year we give out awards to firefighters who go above and beyond the call of duty. This year, Kelly Rusk was awarded the Stuart Rennie "I made a difference" award for his endless support of Y.A.N.A, Jerry Snook took home the "Firefighter of the year" award, and Jayden Barrow was crowned "Rookie of the year".
Long service awards were also given to Captain Corey Brooks (20 years), Lieutenant Sandy Pridmore (20 years), Pete Kendall (15 years), Lieutenant Cole Logan (10 years), Don Lee (10 years), and Carson Schreiner (5 years).
Remembrance Day
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.
Over 20 Comox Fire Rescue members attending the Remembrance Day ceremony.
Hallowe'en at Comox Fire Rescue
For many years now the Comox fire station has been open on Halloween evening for citizens to visit. This year was no different with approximately four hundred people dropping by to enjoy the free hotdogs and hot chocolate the firefighters were giving away. In addition to this two of Comox fire engines were out on the streets, meeting and greeting children and parents.
Comox Fire Chief Gord Schreiner states: “Our firefighters love this event. It gives us another opportunity to meet some of our citizens and also to promote fire safety. Not only did we give away a lot of hotdogs but we also gave away a few smoke alarms and reminded some of the parents the need to have a working smoke alarm. We have an amazing group of firefighters here with about twenty of them donating their time this evening. Also when our fire engines are staffed and out and about our response time is quicker should anyone need us.”
During the evening the fire station is set up with tables and chairs so children and their parents can come in get warmed up and have a rest if needed.
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!