Attending members left to right: Heather Sampson, Tanya Merrett, Al Robertson, Gordon O'Leary, and Sarah English (not pictured).
Several days ago, I laid a fire, the first of the season, though the compressed wood bricks I use seemed a bit dampish. I left the door of the air tight stove open to get a good, hot fire. It started to smoke; was getting bad! The den filled with smoke and I had to get upstairs quickly. Miss Lexie was at the gate barking like mad as the smoke alarms were going off. I got her outside to her pen, out of harms way and called a friend who was on the Stanley Volunteer Fire Department. His wife and I chatted for a bit and it was decided I should call the fire department. They were on scene quickly; first to arrive was neighbour, Sarah English, just a few houses away, whose training as a volunteer had been COVID curtailed for a time but has since resumed. Chatting about her experience, she shared that training never ends.
“Every Tuesday evening we gather to train to maintain our skills and certifications and to learn and stay up to date with new techniques. We are always looking for new members to join and the Tuesday evening sessions are a perfect time to come. Sarah, goes on to say, “we’ve resumed training. One of our members closely monitors the COVID regulations issued by the Department of Health so that we remain compliant with their stipulations.”
It wasn’t long until the fire truck rolled into my driveway and 4 members went about assessing the scene; I was very impressed with their efficiency. It was determined that I needed to get the flue cleaned at once. I called Brown’s Chimney Sweeps in Fredericton and they’ll be coming out within the next few weeks to ensure everything is safe going into cold winter weather.
Stanley Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1951 as the Stanley Fireman's Association; over the years groups of men, then women, stepped up to take their place of service in their community. I am so thankful for their presence in our communities. When my husband and I first moved into our home in 1991, we experienced our first wood stove fire, having been told that the flue was cleaned. NOT! A flue fire wasn’t long rocking our world. I was very concerned about our geriatric Westhighland White Terrier who was struggling to breathe; my anxiety was immediately allayed when a fireman put an oxygen mask on her. Friends for life! The fireman who attended my dog became my computer repair guru and kept my systems tickin’ along for years. Thanks, Stewart.
At that time, I didn’t have an enclosed porch and run like I do now. Now, all these years later, I was glad of that as my mobility isn’t what it used to be as I age with cerebral palsy. My first concern was getting elderly Miss Lexie to safety. She stayed in the pen until we got the all clear to go back in the house. Gosh, it was smokey. Having a volunteer fire department in rural settings is truly a lifesaver; sadly, we can get complacent and may take them for granted. In many communities across the province and across the country, volunteers are ‘aging out’ and fire departments and other such volunteer services need new blood. COVID has altered how training programs are now conducted but new members are needed.
Sadly, we tend not to think about how much time and energy is required to maintain efficient volunteer services such as a fire department. Their members take the job seriously and are frequently upgrading skills so that they can serve the community to the best of their ability. Alas, they can’t do it forever and they no doubt would like reassurance that there will be others coming up behind them to take over when they are no longer able to meet the demands of the job. What’s often missing in this age of ‘gotta have it right this minute’ is that WE people need to free themselves of the ‘stuff’ of the world and get acquainted with the substance. Contribution to community is a legacy they leave to generations of their families that grows with them. Look to those communities where 2, 3, even 4 generations of families work at their local fire department, soup kitchen, homeless shelters, animal shelter; all doing their part.
COVID may have changed how we interact but it hasn’t changed the reality that the needs still exist. One thing that has changed is that older volunteers are worrying about their health and safety in the midst of COVID; that is reason enough for community members from early 20s and onward to step up to take their place in support of life and limb in the place they call home.
Carla Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell
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