Over the years, the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) Station 5 family has continued to grow, and this year was no different.
On May 22, Station 5 celebrated their firefighters, both old and new, during the annual Firefighter Appreciation Night.
This year, the station welcomed seven new members to their team, as they stepped up from recruits to firefighters.
It took over 100 hours of training time, on top of on-call hours, and extra curricular activities.
“They put a lot of effort into achieving this graduation from recruit to probationary firefighter,” Capt. Dwayne Ethier, BRFA training officer, explained. “We didn’t give you these uniforms, you earned them. You earned the right to wear them, and you earned the right to wear the collars,”
For Austin Jackson and Dolly Villareal, who just received their firefighter status, it was worth the effort.
Station 5 welcomed seven new firefighters to their team.
“It has always been a dream for me,” Villareal said about becoming a firefighter.
She added, “I’m small, and I just needed someone to give me a chance to show what I can do and to explore my limits.”
For Jackson, being able to help his community is what pushed him every step of the way.
“It’s a huge responsibility.”
Through both physical and mental training, recruits prepare themselves for the job they’re about to take on.
According to Villareal, a recruit is required to read long chapters before they can take part in certain parts of training, which meant there was a mental aspect to their learning as well as a physical.
Jackson and Villareal agreed the fire training was the best part of the process.
“It happens every time you get a call. It’s good practice for us to learn those techniques and learn what to do and what not to do,” Villareal explained.
TJ Atkinson, Koby Brundige, Reed Didychuk, Steve Goerzen, and Gideon Hancock also accepted their climb in the ranks.
Capt. Dwayne Ethier places the pins on TJ Atkinson’s lapels.
Station 5 chief Darryl Shyian said, “The dedication of getting the uniforms, you put a lot of effort into it... I know you’ll make us proud.”
Firefighters were also recognized for their long list of accomplishments, whether it was bringing a bundle of joy into their own family, becoming a junior firefighter, receiving their shoulder bar, or training certification.
Even though Station 5 has seven fresh faces in their firefighting line-up, it still isn’t enough, said BRFA board chair MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk.
Kelly Turzanski, deputy regional chief and Greg Sawchuk, BRFA board chair, present Colin Atkinson and Matt Pearce with recognition for receiving their Class 2 licences.
“Kids are looking at jobs, and even though this is a part-time role for some of you, it’s still highly respected, and yet, we’re having a hard time bringing people into these trades,” he expressed.
