RDCK recognizes long term service of volunteer Firefighters that save lives
By Nelson Daily Staff
By Suzy Hamilton, The Nelson Daily
We’d have no emergency protection without them.
They are the volunteer firefighters at the 17 rural fire departments in the Regional District of Central Kootenay, and three of them are being recognized this month for their years of service.
For Craig Sapriken, 37, volunteering at the Passmore Fire Department is far more than a commitment of three hours a week with the neighbours.
Sapriken, who will receive recognition for 10 years of service, is now the deputy chief of the Passmore Fire Department.
It’s the quality of work that keeps him coming back, he said. “The level of professionalism and training is beyond a volunteer firefighter. To perform your duty safely and with other members in a team is considerably more than a Tuesday night meeting.”
Volunteer firefighters do much more than put out blazes. They are the first responders in a number of emergencies, often in recreational accidents, such as kayaking, boating, skiing, even tubing the rivers as well as traffic accidents.
Sapriken recalled a visitor from South America who got pulled under a sweeper — a dead tree sticking out in the river — while tubing down the Slocan River. “The poor kid. He latched on to the sweeper and was able to keep his head above water. But he was getting exhausted.
“That’s when our swift water training kicked in and we were able to rescue him.”
Sapriken noted that responding to emergencies often calls for skills acquired in a rural lifestyle, like back country skiing, wilderness survival and search and rescue. “In other words, you have to be a rock climber to rescue a rock climber.”
David Gould, 65, has been a volunteer firefighter with the Ymir Fire Department since 1981 and is being recognized for 25 years of service. He signed up for firefighting as “a suggestion” and has been with the department ever since.
“You get to meet people and help people, and do a lot of service,” he said.
And what’s it like, he was asked?
“It’s usually boring,” he joked.
But kidding aside, it can also be tragic. “We had a murder suicide here that involved a baby and that was very hard on the whole department. It’s very stressful, especially when children are involved.”
Incident stress debriefing is always available, as it was in this case, he said, and is used when needed.
Of course, there’s always the cat in the tree rescue, and it was no different for Ymir firefighters when a colleague’s cat was stranded up a tree for three days. “We got the equipment out and got it down. He’d had that cat for a number of years and he was quite emotional!”
Even after 25 years, Gould said he’s not done yet. “I know I’m old, but I’m friends with a lot of guys (the department also has two women), and we’re always looking for more volunteers. “Come try it out, and if you like it, stay.” That’s what he did.
Hans Cunningham, 69, is also being recognized for 25 years of service with the Ymir Fire Department. He’s actually been there 40 years, for which he received recognition from the federal government, but when he hit the provincial 25 year mark, “I was chief. And I could hardly award things to myself.”
Cunningham, also an RDCK director, was a charter member of the first fire department in Ymir and vividly remembered the incident that led to the formation of the firehall in 1969 when he was a young teacher in his 20’s.
Two homes were lost in a blaze while neighbours strung garden hoses together to try to save them. The town pitched in to remove personal belongings from the homes, but afterward, they decided to formalize their efforts with a fire department, which now services 800 people in the Ymir area.
Cunningham said the best part of being a volunteer firefighter is the multi-tasking involved, the training and the crew. “The satisfaction is an inner satisfaction because we know we’re doing something for the community.”
And he’s going to carry on “as a walking encyclopedia as long as I’m useful.”
The training that volunteer firefighters receive can be transferred to a career, he said. “If you want to join, you’ll be more than welcome.”
RDCK Fire Chief Terry Swan praised all the volunteers. “Without them there would not be a service.
“When people are in trouble they call the fire department first. From a cut finger to a heart attack, they’re going to be there.”
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