Being a firefighter is not something everyone can do

Being a firefighter is not something that just anybody can do. It takes a special breed of individual to put their own lives in danger and launch themselves into the line of fire while others run away. In Whitecourt, a heroic group of individuals have taken the call to action as firefighters. They work long hours, in hectic conditions, and though they do receive praise, they deserve so much more. As part of Fire Prevention Week, the Whitecourt Press wanted to thank the Whitecourt Fire Department men and women, and departments in nearby municipalities that work closely together, for their sacrifice, dedication, and sheer awesomeness. 

Whitecourt firefighter Sheri Mochinski said that being part of the department is all about helping others. “The best part is the feeling when you know you’ve helped someone in need. It is such a rewarding feeling, just knowing you made a difference with helping something.” Mochinski has been on the department since March of 2017 and is well known for lighting up every room she enters with her big, beautiful smile.

Chris Kelly has been a firefighter for 13 years and has been lacing up the boots since he was a teenager. He joined the Blue Ridge Fire Department last year. He also spent two years with Alberta Wildfire on a 20 person unit crew. “We spent more time together than our families. You build unbreakable bonds.” He also works as a paramedic, and through both professions, he has witnessed things that most do not. “The things you see on tour, a normal person doesn’t see in their lifetime. We have resources to help us through tough calls, and we also have the brotherhood that we build with our co-workers.”

Volunteer firefighter Anthony Bain said that he likes being able to give back to the community. “Being a firefighter is about being something more than being myself. It’s helping others that need help and bringing a little bit of hope to those in a bad time.” Of his co-workers at the Whitecourt department, Bain said they are a great bunch. “They give up their time to help others and help out the community and are great people to work with and know. They are always willing to help out.”

Leah Visser and her husband Curtis are both members of the Whitecourt Fire Department. Leah is a Dispatcher, and Curtis has a 20-year history in fire services as a firefighter. Before being in Whitecourt, Leah was a 911 dispatcher in Rocky Mountain House. As dispatcher in Whitecourt, she provides details specific to the area that 911 dispatchers would not have. When a call comes in, and the crew starts mobilizing, Leah breaks down the directions from more difficult coordinates to simplified localized directions to get the crew to the emergency as fast as possible. Because she is local, she also knows about road closures and alternate routes.

Visser said that the support for firefighters in Whitecourt is strong thanks to the department’s peer group. “They have been going to more medical calls lately. They see things at motor vehicle collisions, but medical calls are a totally different thing for a lot of them. But it’s their community, and they want to be there. If the ambulance cannot make it right away, it is good for the community to know that someone will be there. She said that another big part of being volunteers is that most have jobs outside of the department. “They would need cooperation from their employers. They don’t like losing time at work, which is understandable, but fires and accidents don’t happen only on people’s off-hours. They happen anytime.” A prime example was the recent landfill fire that happened through the overnight. Any firefighters set to start work in the morning would have been unable to do so. “It’s a lot of sacrifices, but they do it for their community. I am so proud of my husband. I worry about him, but he wouldn’t be who he was if he couldn’t do this.”

For firefighter Nathan Kison, this December will be 22 years in service. He started as a 15-year-old in a small British Columbia department and has worked at the Whitecourt department for years. “There’s nothing better than watching a child’s eyes light up, waving as you drive by and honk the horn, feeling proud that you were once that same kid.” He said that the most challenging part is the commitment. “Balancing my personal and family life with the Fire Department is challenging.”

For most firefighters in this story, at the helm of the operation is Fire Chief Brian Wynn. He started in the fire service in 1993, and over the years, he has seen massive shifts in the training that firefighters do. “The amount of training that people can get here is phenomenal. We’re raised the whole bar of the department but also in skills, professionalism, and equipment.” The department recently welcomed a brand new shiny truck to the fleet, which means the crew have even more to learn. “Most of these people here are always up for the challenge of new training. We put in 8000 hours of training last year. That is a ton of time,” he explained.

He said that being a firefighter goes back to the pioneers’ original aspect of always helping each other. “This is that old attitude of helping your neighbours and being part of the community. Quite frankly, it’s a very vital part of the community.” Every firefighter always speaks to the bond they have within their department. For Chief Wynn, it is a family. “I know all the members’ kids. It’s a great group of people that get along like a family.”

One of the roles that he plays in the family is that of the department “dad.” “A lot of people come to me for advice on everything. If their mom or dad is out of province or has passed, hopefully, I am someone that they can come and talk to, unload on, and get advice from. I have been told I’m like a dad, and I’m ok with that,” he smiled. “It’s my job to look after these people because the most important thing in this department is not the hall or the trucks, it’s the people. They make the department.”