St. Marys firefighters receive medals for service

A long list of firefighters have earned the Fire Service Exemplary Medals and Fire Services Long Service Medals for a combined more than 220 years volunteering for the St. Marys Fire Department.

"These milestones are exceptionally impressive,” said St. Marys Fire Chief Richard “Andy” Anderson. “The volunteer fire department is a strong community institution that contributes to community integration. The value of these recipients' service cannot be overstated.”

Firefighters who received awards for Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal included:
Kevin Edwards, Captain - 20 years
Mark McEwan, Firefighter – 20 years
Jeff Sass, Firefighter – 20 years
Todd Thibodeau, Firefighter (Retired) - 20 years

Firefighters who received awards for Fire Services Long Service Medal included:
Brent Dundas, Deputy Fire Chief – 35 Years
Dale Robinson, Captain – 30 years
Ryan Taylor, Captain – 25 Years
Phil West, Lieutenant – 25 years
Rick Martin, Firefighter – 25 years

Brent Dundas, Deputy Fire Chief, was recognized for 35 years of service. Dundas said, “For me, it’s not about the amount of time as I really don't think about the number of years. It's something that I started in my early 20’s and just kept doing."

Dundas notes that the fire service has changed dramatically in the time he’s been involved. "The equipment, training, and responsibilities have changed tremendously. I feel very fortunate to have experienced firefighting techniques evolve over the past 35 years.”

A particular challenge that Dundas notes is balancing family life with the commitment to the fire service. "You can plan all you want for how your day is going to go, but if the pager goes off, things change very quickly. Dealing with some of the things we see on the job can be difficult for some firefighters,” he said. "I have been to some very troubling calls but have always been able to separate them from my personal life. At the station we are very good at looking out for each other, talking through hard times, and supporting each other. Every person is affected differently with each situation. We try hard to gather as a group and talk about anything that may affect any one of us. The town has support services for us and we encourage our group to use these services."

Dundas feels very fortunate to contribute to fire safety in St. Marys, and though it's a difficult job, he is happy to be serving a small town.  "Many memories are of times when other people are having their worst day. In a small community like St. Marys we often know the people that need our services and it is helpful for the people to know the responders are sometimes neighbours and friends," he said.

Among the best memories of the medal recipients are the community events that St. Marys Fire Department holds throughout the year. They agree that providing residents with the opportunity to sit together and talk about old times or meet new neighbours is always a rewarding experience. One of their favourite times of year includes Fire Prevention Week. During this time they visit as many homes as possible to check smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms. The feedback from those initiatives is always positive.

“On behalf of St. Marys Fire Department and the Town of St. Marys, we want to congratulate all of our team members that reached these significant milestones.” Said Anderson.

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Contact:

Beverly Brenneman, Corporate Communications Manager
519-284-2340, ext. 432 | bbrenneman@town.stmarys.on.ca