Fire Captain Phil West named Firefighter of the Month for November

The St. Marys Fire Department proudly announces Fire Captain Phil West as the November 2022 “Firefighter of the Month”.

West joined the department as a firefighter in 1995. Throughout his career he displayed a keen interest to steadily progress through the ranks to becoming a Fire Captain. The career path of becoming a Fire Captain begins with finishing high school, completing numerous firefighter certifications and gaining valuable experience at the lower ranks over several years. You then continue your education through a Fire Officer program becoming a Fire Lieutenant before being promoted to Fire Captain. West was promoted to Fire Lieutenant in 2019 and subsequently promoted to Fire Captain January 21, 2022.

West is the recipient of the 20-year Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal and the 25-year Ontario Fire Services Long Service Medal.  

A Fire Captain’s duties and responsibilities are to oversee the daily operations of a fire station. As the Fire Captain, you are the leader of the entire company, so you must gain significant experience at the lower ranks. You manage the training and supervision of new personnel and the administration of training exercises related to fire management, fire suppression, hazardous material response, and rescue operations. You are the primary commander at an emergency scene until a higher-ranking officer arrives.

West joined the Fire Department because he wanted to volunteer in the community and wanted to be part of a team that helped the residents of St. Marys. Growing up with one of his best friends whose father was a Fire Captain, gave him some insight of what firefighting was all about.

West says, “Being a Captain you must think about the big picture, take safety precautions for you and your team and always thinking about “Plan B” as conditions change.”

West enjoys being part of a great group that have a common goal of raising money through fundraising events to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy, local sports teams, youth scholarships and more.  

West was raised in St. Marys. He is married to Karen, and they have two children, Mitchell and Emily and two golden retrievers. He works at AllRoads Dodge Chrysler Jeep in St. Marys.

Captain West was selected as the Firefighter of the Month for numerous reasons. “Being a volunteer firefighter isn’t something you do; it’s something you are,” said Deputy Fire Chief Brent Dundas.  “Captain West has dedicated himself to keep our community safe for 27 years, by training for emergency response when citizens in our community call.”

- 30 -

For media inquiries:
Richard “Andy” Anderson, Director of Emergency Services/Fire Chief
519-284-2340, ext. 201 | randerson@town.stmarys.on.ca