Firefighter Profile: Aaron Floyd

Deputy Fire Chief Aaron Floyd has eight years of service with the Whitecourt Fire Department. Here, he talks about his time so far.

I’ve always admired firefighters. My grandfather was a captain with Edmonton Fire & Rescue Services and I grew up being close to him. To me, he represented what it meant to be a firefighter. He was trustworthy, practical, strong, and dedicated to his family. Career or volunteer, all firefighters share these same values, and share the desire to give back to their community. The fire service is diverse and no day is ever the same. All of this inspired me to pursue this as a career.

Because our members are volunteers, we must accommodate their work schedules as much as possible which means consistently operating outside normal business hours. We respond to calls 24 hours a day and, still, our members spend their weekends and evenings training. As the head training officer with a young family, this presents its share of challenges. My wife is very supportive of my role with the department, and ensures I can dedicate the extra time to prepare our firefighters to answer the calls. We are also blessed to have a very well-qualified, dedicated group of instructors who share this responsibility.

The personal rewards and satisfaction received from being on the fire department is beyond description. The level of certified training, opportunities, and experiences has far exceeded my expectations. This department is a tight knit group that welcomes not only the individual member, but his or her entire family. It’s a very positive environment for anyone fortunate enough to be a part of it.

I love the opportunity to serve our members and provide opportunities for them to grow and excel, not only as firefighters, but as leaders in the community. Providing skills and training that they can use in other areas of their life, and watching positive changes take place in their personal and professional lives because of what we do, is very rewarding. I make it a priority to ensure all members are given opportunities that will assist them in their current role and prepare them for their next, should they choose to move higher. I have also expanded specialized training to include such things as swift water/ice rescue, heavy vehicle extrication, rope rescue, and safety codes officer training. We have a very diverse group of people with a wide skill-set who rely on one another and can work seamlessly to adapt and overcome to meet the needs of our changing work environment resulting in a safer community.

Our volunteers provide an exceptional service to the Town of Whitecourt and surrounding areas of Woodlands County, and I intend to continue providing this level of training to keep our firefighters and the community safe. When our residents see our trucks on-route to help someone in need, they can be assured they are armed with the best equipment and trained personnel to handle the challenges they will face on scene.