The Terrace Slandard, Wednesday, April 17, 2002 - AS

When the alarm sounds

Nine local fire fighters honoured for their service reflect on 40 years of battling blazes in Terrace.

LAST NIGHT nine local firefighters
were recognized for their many. years

_of service ta the Terrace Fire Depart-

ment,

_fona Campagnolo, the Lieutenant
Governor of B.C., was on hand to give
out the special awards.

The firefighters have contributed
from 20 to 42 years of service each
and they’ve all scen things: change
over that time.

Most of the men have put in all of
their time at the Terrace Fire Depart-
ment, while others have brought ex-
perience from other locations with

~ them.

“As they reflect on their years of ser-

vice they speak to the changing face

of Terrace’s fire department.
Building codes have become more
Stringent in recent years which has re-

- sulted in fewer fires than 20 or 30

years ago.

. The fire department has taken on
more responsibility as first responders
to highway accidents and are often on

hand. assisting paramedics at emer-

gency calls.

. The fire department also has more
women volunteering. But if you ask
any of the men recognized tonight
theyll tell you gender doesn’t really
matter,

- Women. firefighters, just like the
men, 20 through the same training and
pull their. weight like everyone else.

_. The one thing that hasn’t changed
over the years is the reason why each
of these nine firefighters continue
working and volunteering their time.

Each said they continue because
it’s a way of giving back to their com-
munity and because they get a sense
of gratification in helping others.

Beiow are the stories of the nine
firefighters who received their awards

last night.

; Walter Mantel

Captain Walter Mantel, 60, has
been fighting fires in Terrace for over
42 years.

Having recently turned 60 Mantel

tuirmedlin :his helmet, boots and jacket: rfor-25 -years |
And’left firefighting to'the’yolinger fire

fighters .*- Fo vibwih wae hag

“It’s a-requirement of the local fire

depart to retire their members of 60
years. old, but that hasn’t stopped

Mantel from getting back to the fire
hall.
‘Most lunch hours Mantel can be
caught playing cards with other fire-
fighters on. their lunch break, laughing
and talking and catching up on what's
going on in the community.

“It’s exciting to be able to save
lives and protect property, too,” he

' says of his many years of service. “It’s

such a ‘rewarding experience.”
Mantel has observed the changing
role of the fire department.
“There were a lot of structures that
weren't fire safc,” he says of his early
days as a fire fighter in the 60s and

“70s.

“The number of fires has decreased
substantially over the years.”

He’s also noticed an increased em-
phasis on first responder and highway

" rescue work,

He says water and land rescue have
become much more specialized and

fire fighters are broadening their skill

set. .

4,

A special report by Sarah A. Zimmerman

Now into his retirement Mantel
says he misses having his finger on the

_pulse of the community but-adds -he

doesn’t miss waking up to a fire call in
the middle of the night. ,

“With me having to retire at 60 it’s
good to sec the young guys coming up
and getting involved.”

Jim Stainton

Captain
Jim Stain-
ton, 54, has
volunteered
with the
local de-
partment
for 35
years,

Stainton
was hooked
since the
first time
he volun-
teered and
Says there
are some *
calls that
stick out in
his mind.

Last summer an elderly Alaskan
couple were in a highway accident
near Car Wash Rock.

The woman’s arm was pinned be-
neath the vehicle and Stainton was
one of the first responders on hand
helping lifting the vehicle.

Just three weeks ago the depart-
ment received a letter from the woman
thanking them for all their help and
kindness. ;

“Most people appreciate it but not
everyone writes in,” he says.

Jim Stainton

Fred Euyerman

Lieute-
nant Fred
Euverman
42, was te-
cognized

of service. ri
a Buwe rep
man be-
came inter-
ested in vo-
lunteering
for the fire
department
at 17 years
old.

“My par-
ents were
friends with
Capt. Bert
Roseboom and he encouraged me to
join and volunteer,’ Euverman recalls.

“ft was still in high school,” he re-
calls.

Afler two years of volunteer work
Euverman joined as a full time em-
ployee and never looked back.

“It’s the ability to help people when
they’re in times of need,” he says.
“All it takes is one phone call and
you’re put the door.”

He says he enjoys the challenge
and the diversity the work offers.

Every call is different, he says. And
that means thinking on your feet and
responding to each different situation
appropriately.

Fred Euverman

~-race’s de

“While ® We"
hag ave

Fred Burrows
As Ter-

puty . fire
chief Fred
Burrows,
42, has
been fight-
ing fires for
20 years.

He star-
ted as a vo-
lunteer then
worked for
Crash Fire
Rescue
Services at
the Terrace
airport and
became de-
puty fire chief here in 2001.

He says the diversity of calls tea-
ches him something new every day.

“When it comes to fire service you
can’t take the atlilude that you've
learned,” he says. “You're always
learning.”

He says Terrace can be a busy
place and developing a good working
relationship wilh everyone in the de-
partment is the key to success.

“That working relationship and
bond — it’s more like a team — a fami-
ly actually,” he says.

“I’ve been other places where it
hasn’t been as busy and it hasn’t been
as tight.”

Fred Burrows

Randy Smith

ie a
po rr

r
€
d

Mn @

c
R
Smith, 44,
* has batiled
blazes for
20 years, =f
Smith
takes a
hands on
approach
to fire
fighting.

me ndgu's'

amount of
ad min-
istrative
work to do he is often seen at the
scene of a fire coordinating the re-
sponse.

Acting as a coordinator and learn-
ing to help manage people and situa-
tions is something Smith enjoys.

His expertise has been called upon
several times in recent years.

As a part of B.C.’s mobile emer-
gency response team he was called lo
Puerlo Rice to help out with disaster
relief during Hurricane George in 1998.

He was also called in to help with
the relief effort for the Salmon Arm
fires at the emergency social services
headquarters in Kamloops in 1999,

Smith recently spent three weeks
coordinating a relief centre for emer-
gency workers at Ground Zero in New
York City. ;

Working behind the scenes at the
disaster site, Smith was in charge of
coordinating hundreds of volunteers
every day and making sure they were
fed and cared for.

“New York was a little bit of a

Randy Smith

SHAUNCE Kruisselbrink celebrates 29 years of volunteer service with the

Terrace fire department, SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO,

switch because 1 was there to make
the rescuers’ situation a bit better,” he
says. _
. ,, Dealing with people-who tave' hurt’
fatalities involved can be a test of
inner strength.

Smith says some people find the
stress too difficult. ;

“We lose a lot of people because of
that,” he says.

New volunteers may leave the de-
partment and Smith won’t find out
until months later that the tough calls
were just a little too hard to handle.

He says it takes a certain kind of
person to be able to handle the down
parts of the job.

“I just tell the guys ‘you're there to
make things better, but you didn’t
cause it,’” he says.

Larry Craig

Larry
Craig, 50,
has been
valuntee r-
ing with the
Terrace
Fire De-
partment for
30 years.

As a
child he
knew then-
fire chief
Andy
Owens and
decided to
sign up.

“It was
just fun and
there's good people,” he says.

He also says fire fighting makes
him feel like he’s doing his bit for the
community.

Over the past 30 years he says he’s
also noticed there are less fires to
fight.

Another switch has been a change
in the technology and equipment fire
fighters use.

Qwens had a simple answer when
asked why his has stuck with fire
fighting.

“It’s routine — I've been doing this
for more than half my life,” Craig
says.

Larry Craig

Shannce Kruisselbrink
Shaunce Kruisselbrink, 52, has also
became accustomed to being part of
the volunteer contingent.
He started out as a young man at
the Smithers fire department and

joined the Terrace squad in 1973, 29

years ago.

Why did he join in the first place?

“Because all. my buddies were
there,” he says smiling.

He adds while some people are part
of a service group such as the. Lions
Club or a Rotary Club, firefighting is
his way of being involved with the:
community, . ; Ps

It’s a good thing to do,” he says.

and dealing, with. aceidents:which shave: “pidca'y ‘ear-" Iid

Scott Spencer

Scott
Spencer, ;.
at has”

cer fire
fighter for
20 years.

H e
began with
Crash Fire
Rescue
Services at
the airport.

As he
looks back
on 20 years
of service
he has dif-
ficulty pin-
pointing one cail that stands out above
the rest.

Going over fires, accidents and
emergency calls in his head he finally
stops.

He tells the story of going to the
Tillicum Twin Theatre just less than
two years ago as a first responder.

A man had a heart altack and his
heart stopped.

Equipped with a newly acquired
portable heart defibrillator, Spencer
and his partner were able to revive the
man.

“He’s up and walking around
today,” Spencer says smiling.

Had the defibrillator not been avail-
able the man may not have been re-
vived, he says.

“I walked two feet in the air for a
weck afler that one,” he says.

Spencer also works part time with
the B.C. Ambulance Service.

rs

Scott Spencer

Ron Fieming

Lie ute-
nant Ron
Fleming, 58
has been
with the
Terrace fire
department
for 35 years.
He | started
oul as a vo-
lunteer and
became a
full time
firefighter
29° )syears

eet

“The Colo-
nel” because,e of his resemblance to
fast food icon Colonel Sanders, Flem-.
ing has done a lot of work educating
local youngsters aboul fire safely.
“He’s very popular with kids,” says,
deputy .fire chief Burrows. “A lot of
times he’s asked for to do tours.”
Fleming is set to retire Aug. 31,
2003 once he reaches the age of 60.

ay