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Firemen reach higher ground in fundraising efforts

Barrhead firefighters took their efforts to raise funds and awareness to a higher level over the weekend.

Barrhead firefighters took their efforts to raise funds and awareness to a higher level over the weekend.

Wearing their famous yellow helmets, they encamped on the Barrhead and Districts Co-op gas bar roof for 30 hours straight, waving to honking motorists and answering the shouts of well-wishers.

They spent the time playing poker and listening to music. Occasionally they performed an impromptu dance and once delighted passersby by singing the Village People’s YMCA. Food and drink were delivered via a rope and pail.

A few yards away a Canadian flag fluttered atop a fire truck ladder, while a “Heroes in the Sky” banner alerted people to the cause and a special calendar initiative.

The Fire Within/Firefighters 1st volunteer firefighter calendars were being sold for $20 from a table by the gas station forecourt – with $4 from each sale going to the food bank and the balance helping to buy new fire-fighting equipment.

Calendars were also on sale at the adjacent Co-op store where firefighters manned a hot dog stand offering free food and drink to passersby.

Firefighter Diana Carlson helped Capt. Ty Assaf dish out the burgers and buns. The goodwill gesture went down well with store visitors, some of whom made donations to the fire department.

“We’ve had a great response so far to the ‘Heroes in the Sky’ event,” said Lt. Dave Friesen.

“Motorists have been honking to show how appreciative they are of the service we provide.”

He said about 100 of the 500 calendars available had already been sold.

The event is held annually, with firefighters being lifted on to rooftops across North America.

“We hope to raise awareness in the community about what we do and raise money for new equipment,” Friesen said, adding that the fire service was looking forward to getting a new and bigger rescue truck.

He said the event was also a remembrance for victims of the 9-11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York. Among the fallen were 343 firefighters.

Former Fire Chief Gary Hove, who played bagpipes while cars drove up on the forecourt and colleagues looked down from the Co-op station roof, added a poignant touch to the occasion.

Several well-wishers called up to the firemen and some took out cameras to record the event. Staff from the Paddle River Golf club helped them handle Saturday’s heat with ice cream; on Sunday hot drinks were the order of the day.

The fire department is hoping its initiative - blessed on Saturday by sunshine and blue skies before colder, wetter weather kicked in on Sunday - will attract more volunteers.

Friesen said volunteers could expect to train for two months before receiving a pager.

“I’ve known three or four volunteers go on to become full-time firemen,” he said

Across Canada there are 127,000 volunteer firefighters, with 390 volunteer departments in Alberta. Almost 95 per cent of the province’s soil is protected by volunteer firefighters.

Firefighters 1st chair Chad Sartison said the calendar initiative is truly community-based and every dollar raised by Barrhead Fire Service firefighters through selling the calendars will stay in Barrhead.

“The Heroes in the Sky event is exciting because despite some natural friendly competition among departments about who can sell the most calendars. In the end it is all about supporting each other and doing something meaningful together during this weekend,” he said.

“With the anniversary of September 11, it is a timely occasion to be recognizing the immense contribution of all firefighters everywhere who day and night risk their lives, yet largely go unnoticed,” he added.

Last year marked the fourth anniversary of the event, and by the end of the weekend over $240,000 was raised. Some departments even gave funds back to those in need in their communities.

Since the inception of the calendar initiative five years ago, more than $1.5 million has been raised.

“We know that volunteer firefighters make a significant contribution to communities, but how can we possibly measure it? Over 9,000 of Alberta’s 12,000 firefighters are volunteers, and every time you leave city limits you are in their hands,” Sartison said.

However, volunteer fire services across Canada are in need of attention and funding, and it is getting more difficult for rural fire departments to attract volunteers, he said.

“The goal of this campaign is raise much needed funds, but perhaps more importantly to raise the profile of these everyday heroes. My hope is that we can build awareness that will prompt the public to ask their elected officials what their plan is for the volunteer service – because this, more than funding, will help to bring about change.”

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