It’s a bell we never get tired of ringing — volunteers are the backbone of the Westlock area.
From the St. Mary playground fundraising group, to the coaches and managers in the Westlock Minor Hockey Association, or groups like the Elks … suffice to say, volunteers and their good work is what keeps this area vibrant.
And with this week, Oct. 9-15, being Fire Prevention Week it’s time to give thanks to who we refer to as the “ultimate volunteers.”
Firefighters in our community, with the exception of county chief John Biro and town chief Stuart Koflick, don’t get paid.
So, in addition to being first on the scene of an accident, fire, or once-in-a-lifetime overland flood, they farm, drive truck, or work in the oilfield.
Can you imagine spending a long day at your “regular” job, then being awoken by a fire call at 2 a.m.?
Let that sink in for a minute.
Of course that’s only part of the story. The job, by its very nature, carries stresses none of us can comprehend. Many encounter tragic situations that are difficult to cope with. In a small community like ours, these tragedies can involve a familiar face, or even a family member.
It is a positive step that members in our area have received critical incident management training, which gives them a trained eye to notice when a fellow volunteer is struggling and provide them with peer support to acknowledge and heal their pain.
And not only do our firefighters help each other, various departments often join forces to tackle a situation that crosses their boundaries. This collaboration also means lending a helping hand to fire departments in neighbouring municipalities.
Finally, let’s not forget that their commitment goes beyond the first call as they spend countless hours training and preparing equipment.
So add all that up and it’s no surprise that recruiting new faces can be a challenge.
The sacrifices they make are massive, but the rewards, well, they can be even bigger. Being a volunteer firefighter isn’t a job for everyone, but for those who do we offer a sincere, heartfelt thank you.
