“You guys are my heroes.”
That was how Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) Station 5 Cpt. Dustin Ruck described his fellow volunteer firefighters during the 2019 awards night on Saturday, Nov. 2.
“Not because you run into burning buildings when everyone’s running out, or because you save a cat from a tree, or any other cliché phrase that we hear,” he continued. “But, because you literally drop everything right then and there to put other’s needs before your own. Yes, you leave work to extricate a child from a damaged car, or run from supper to try and minimize a stranger’s loss in a house fire, but it doesn’t stop there. What truly makes you guys heroes is the support that you provide to one another. A group of people who, most before joining, never knew one another, and immediately shared and comforted each other in some of our most intimate moments.”
Members of Bonnyville Station 5 came together to celebrate the past year, and honour a few of their own.
Tristan Ilko, Gideon Hancock, and Curtis Blanchette were thanked for their work with future firefighters through the BRFA junior program.
Hanging up their helmets this year were Cpt. Kevin Vallee, who has spent 14 years volunteering with Station 5. Also retiring was six-year firefighter Bernie Seymour.
The awards’ night marked a milestone for firefighter Laura Regenwetter. She received a plaque for five years of service.
When she first joined the BRFA, Regenwetter never could have imagined it would lead her to a full-time career in emergency services.
“I wanted to do something with my spare time, and the fire department just seemed fitting for me,” she expressed.
There was tough competition for the firefighter of the year award, but in the end, it was Jason Sakaluk, who received the honours for going above and beyond the call of duty for his fellow members.
The announcement left Sakaluk speechless.
“There’s no words to explain how it feels to be chosen,” he exclaimed.
Along with initiating new recruits and recognizing those years into their service, the event was an opportunity for the community to offer their thanks to the men and women who volunteer their time.
With everything Station 5 does for Bonnyville, Mayor Gene Sobolewski described it as a privilege to offer appreciation.
“We do have to recognize that you’re volunteering. You’re not getting paid for this, but you’re putting it on the line each and every time you hear those tones and you rush out. You do it because you have the heart.”
BRFA fire chief Jay Melvin said a prime example of their exemplary service was their efforts during the Moose Lake fire in June.
“When I was out there for five days, there were people that were phoning their bosses and colleagues saying, ‘listen, I can’t come into work today, because I’ve got to go out and help fight this fire,’” he recalled.
MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk said, “I was coming back from Quebec City, and my CAO was on the phone with me talking about the fire at Moose Lake. He said the resources were there, Jay and the team were on top of it, and sure enough, if you guys… weren’t out there helping out along with the other crews, and we were lucky enough to get the resources that we did from the province to help out on that so it didn’t get away.”
One factor stressed by all was none of the volunteer firefighters would be able to do what they do without their loved ones.
“We receive endless gratitude, praise, and support as firefighters, however, without the support and love of our partners and families, I know that we couldn’t be able to emotionally, mentally, or physically continue to provide this service,” Ruck explained. “From the lonely dinners left with an empty chair to the startling 3 a.m. wake up calls from blaring tones to being left stranded to parent and care for our young ones, allowing us to run to the aid of a complete stranger, that’s a true testament of love and companionship from our families to make this whole thing work.”
