By Ashley Thompson
THE HANTS JOURNAL
NovaNewsNow.com
Volunteer firefighters serving Windsor and West Hants will be featured in the nationally distributed The Fire Within calendar for a second year running, but these people are more than just pretty faces – they’re trained emergency personnel who could save your life.
And, with the funds raised from every calendar sold this year, pooled with proceeds raised in 2009, firefighters are hoping to improve the emergency services they provide for the nearly 14,000 residents living in their service area, and travellers passing through.
Fire chief Scott Burgess says the department is hoping to gain enough funding to purchase a $30,000 piece of equipment that will help them offer better emergency assistance when responding to calls for mutual aid from other agencies, or answering the call of duty themselves.
“This piece of equipment that we’re looking at is in response to us recognizing a need… it’ll benefit everyone in our service area,” Burgess explained.
He said he does not want to make any promises until he knows the Windsor Fire Department will be acquiring this apparatus for certain.
“It’s still kind of secret now… we’ll know more in September,” he continued.
Burgess promises 2010’s The Fire Within volunteer firefighter calendar will have more of a hometown appeal than the first, which brought in about $5,000 in 2009.
“They took input from the fire departments and changed the format.”
This year, the calendars will vary according to geographic location. Each department will receive a bundle of calendars with familiar faces on the cover, and a chief’s message on the inside.
Burgess asked to have sponsor Ski Martock’s logo printed on their department’s page as both groups have been working together to prepare the ski hill as a venue for the 2011 Canada Winter Games in February.
Not only did Burgess manage to get Ski Martock’s logo in the calendar, he took 25 volunteer firefighters – and a few fire engines – to the slopes on Aug. 17 for a reunion with Charles Hope, photographer for The Fire Within.
Burgess joined his group for a photo at the foot of the ski hills and then informed members Ryan Richard, Albert Bahri, Rob Jenson, Mike Pardis, Debbie Imlay, Mark Foster and Daniel Lavers that they weren’t relieved of their duties quite yet. The seven firefighters will be featured on a page inside the calendar, which will be sold door to door and at community events, by the models themselves.
Burgess said the calendar campaigns give trained fire safety personnel opportunities to educate their public on fire prevention. They will be visiting homes not only to gain financial support, but also to distribute home safety checklists to residents.
“Every building should have fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and escape routes. Toasters should not be left plugged in. Damaged wires must be replaced. Our checklist teaches people how to go above and beyond to prevent a fire, and how to be prepared.”
Visit www.windsorfire.ca to learn more about the Windsor Fire Department.
