RESILIENCE RENOVATIONS REVOLUTION RECONCILIATION

Help when you need it
By Isabelle Southcott • isabelle@prliving.ca
The sound of wailing sirens wakes you in the middle of
the night. You roll over, look at your alarm. It’s 3 am.
Someone, somewhere, needs help. You snuggle back
under the covers, comforted by the knowledge that Powell
River’s emergency personnel are on the job.
Heroes come in many different shapes and sizes. Not
all wear capes and have super powers. Some, like firefighters,
policemen, emergency room docs, and paramedics,
save lives on a daily basis but their stories
don’t appear in comic books or on TV. This month,
Powell River Living launches Everyday Heroes to look
at the jobs and the people behind the jobs.
The Powell River Regional Emergency Program
invites you to join in.
T
hirty years ago Tom Baker signed on as an auxiliary firefighter
with the Westview Fire Department. He remembers
when it happened because in those days, auxiliary firefighters
had to be married and he had just said I do.
Today Tom is a captain with Powell River Fire Rescue.
Tom has been a career firefighter for 22 years. His twin brother is
a captain in Edmonton and his son is a firefighter in Grand Prairie.
“The best thing about my job is helping the people who live
here,” says Tom.
Firefighters preserve life and property. They rescue people
from burning buildings, put out fires, they extract people from
crumpled cars, and provide first aid.
When the alarm goes off, firefighters go to work. It doesn’t
matter if it is 3 am or 3 pm, when they’re needed, they’re there.
Firefighters are a special breed. “You spend so much time
with your crew on shift that they are like family,” says Tom. The
Westview station is manned 24/7.
Fire prevention and education is an important component of
any firefighters job.
“Training is important for us,” says Tom. He pulls out his
SCBA breathing apparatus and puts it on. “I sound like Darth
Vader when I’m wearing this. I put it on so kids won’t be scared
of us if they see us at a fire. We look different in our station
clothes than we do in our turnout gear.”
Every job has it worst moments and for Tom, that’s when
someone dies, especially if that someone is a child.
When asked if he had to do it all over again, would he become
a firefighter he answers with a resounding “Yes!”
Fire prevention week is October 6 to 12. It’s a good time to
thank career and auxiliary firefighters for keeping us safe.
Powell River Professional Fire Fighters • Local 1298
WE CARE FOR LIFE
6965 Courtenay Street • Powell River, BC www.powellriverfirefighters.ca • 604.485.9498
14 • www.PRLiving.ca