Firefighters just get better by the dozen.
The Okotoks Fire Department awarded five firefighters for 12-years of service to the department on May 21 at the fire hall.
Adam McInnis brought his electrical experience to the squad when he joined the department as a volunteer in 2001. He became a full-time firefighter in 2010.
He knows that when fighting a fire or responding to a motor vehicle accident, the title volunteer and full-time goes out the window.
“It’s the same job whether you are volunteer or fulltime — you face the same risks we all do at a fire,” McInnis told firefighters. “It’s an honour to receive this and hopefully, I will be here for 12 more.”
McInnis joined the department as an avocation while an electrician 12 years ago and started working for the department full-time four years ago.
“It’s something that I wanted to do ever since I was a little guy,” McInnis said. “I had friends who became a firefighter after getting a trade. It (being an electrician) is a helpful background in my current occupation.”
McInnis’ trade has helped with fire alarms calls — he used to wire fire alarms — or he can help if a smoke detector isn’t working. McInnis is now on the Fire Arson Specialty Team (FAST) which investigate fires.
“If they suspect electrical causes, I have a bit more background than some other guys do,” he said.
He’s now wired to be a firefighter. McInnis has the same charge as when he joined the department.
“I get to come to work and help people,” he said. “The interaction with the people, the education of the children — it is never the same job.
“Some days I will be fighting a fire in the grass and the next I will be helping someone in a medical emergency.”
Sometimes that emergency can mean bringing a new life into the world.
“This past December, I was fortunate to deliver a little baby girl,” he said. “Those are the good calls. Then you will have the bad calls — if it includes loss of life or damage to property those are the hard ones.”
Ryan Kaiser has been a firefighter for 12 years, but the lifestyle has been in his blood his whole life. His father Paul Kaiser, is the former chief of the Okotoks Fire Department.
“My dad was with Calgary fire for 32 years and then here,” Kaiser said. “I got the bug pretty young. My dad has stories of taking me, when he couldn’t find a babysitter, to go back and investigate fires.“
When he got older, Ryan found being a visual communication student at the Foothills Composite High School being helpful to dear old dad.
“Dad would point at things he wanted a photo of and I would take pictures and make sure they were developed properly,” Kaiser said.
“I was just a high school kid.”
He’s no longer a kid — he’s been a volunteer for the past dozen years.
“I am happy being a volunteer and giving back to the community,” Ryan said. “Like Adam said you get the good and you get the bad.
“The key thing is to hold on to the good experiences — the deliveries, dealing with the children.
“I have been fortunate to have two deliveries under my belt. I still run into the families and they still recognize me as one of the guys who helped bring their son and their daughter into the world.”
As far the sometime ugly aspects of the job, such as the fires and the fatal motor vehicle collisions, it’s best not to dwell on them.
“You can’t dwell on the bad things,” Kaiser said. “It will just bring you down.”
It’s not a coincidence Kaiser enjoys teaching the children at schools during Fire Prevention Week. He’s mother Carolyn, is a former chairwoman of the Foothills School Division.
The Okotoks Fire Department had three other members receive their 12-years of service medals, but they were unable to attend the May 21 ceremony.
They are John Cunningham, Greg Koski and David Meikle.
Councillor Ed Sands presented the medals to Kaiser and McInnis.
