Meet our Members: Rob Stevens

This week on "Meet our Members", we interview Captain Rob Stevens!

View fullsize

CFR: Could you provide a brief background of your fire service career?

My emergency service career started in Victoria as a member of the city’s urban Search and Rescue team. That was more than a couple years ago. 1991 or there about. I joined the fire service with the Bow Horn Bay fire department after meeting their chief and he agreed to train me. That was about 1995. I joined Comox Fire Rescue in 1997 and have been a member here since.

CFR: Was there any specific event that first interested you in becoming a fire fighter?

I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter. I was a big fan of the TV show Emergency when I was a kid. That sparked my interest in the career and the reality of the industry has never dampened my enthusiasm for the career.

CFR: What is your favourite part of working at Comox Fire Rescue (or working in the valley in general)?

Comox Fire Rescue is a great place to work. I love that we always look for ways to improve and be better (and safer) at the job. Just because something is going well and working doesn’t mean we stop looking for an even better way to do something. Comox Fire Rescue is dedicated to passing on knowledge and helping firefighters get better at what they do. We interact with other departments often. We train intensively in house, and we help any way we can when asked to train members from other departments. I love meeting, helping and learning from firefighters from all over the island, BC and beyond.

CFR: Outside of the fire department, what are your interests/hobbies?

Outside the department, I love to hike and explore the wilderness. The Comox Valley is endless in treasure troves to discover in the back hills.

CFR: What are some major changes you have seen in the fire service industry during your career?

The biggest change I’ve noticed in the fire service is the speed and intensity of fires. The amount of materials in the typical home that burn with high intensity and speed has increased greatly over the past couple decades. This has made fire fighting more challenging and forced the firefighter to be much more aware of fire behaviour and understand fire characteristics in more depth than ever before. The firefighter’s life depends on this knowledge and understanding. We have less fires due to a stronger public education emphasis, but the fires that do occur are much more challenging.

Chief Schreiner states: "Having dedicated, compassionate, ethical, hard-working, and well-trained people like Rob here is what makes our organization as good as it is. The best equipment and facilities does not make a good fire department. A good fire department needs great people like Rob. He is very important to the continued success of this organization.”

Meet our Members: Cole Logan

This week on "Meet our Members", we interview Lieutenant Cole Logan!

View fullsize

CFR: Could you provide a brief background of your fire service career?

I joined the Fire Service in 2002 following participation in the Comox Fire Rescue youth camp. After a short stint in Comox I moved to Northern BC where I was a Member of Taylor Fire Rescue as well as an Industrial Fire Firefighter and Rescue Technician. In 2005 I returned to Comox and continued my fire service career to date where I am currently a Lieutenant and lead instructor with CFR.

CFR: Was there any specific event that first interested you in becoming a fire fighter?

Backdraft

CFR: What is your favourite part of volunteering for Comox Fire Rescue (or working in the valley in general)?

Being able to live in such a beautiful town while serving its citizens is simply awesome. My favourite reason for Volunteering here is being able to enjoy the people, scenery, and the amenities the Comox Valley has to offer. Being able to give back to the community is truly rewarding.

CFR: Outside of the fire department, what are your interests/hobbies?

Camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, and spending time with family.

CFR: What are some major changes you have seen in the fire service industry during your career?

In the 13 years I have been around I have seen incredible advances in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the tools we use, but the biggest advancement of all that I have seen is the quality of training available to Firefighters.

CFR: If you could change one thing about the fire service, what would it be?

I would figure out a screening process that keeps out the people who are just here for the T-Shirt...

View fullsize

Thanks very much to Cole Logan for his years of service and dedication to teaching new firefighters the skills required to stay safe and effective.

View fullsize

Meet our Members: Rick Shelton

Rick Shelton, encouraged by friends who were already members of Comox Fire Department, joined in 1983. Over the following 33 years he has worked as a Volunteer Firefighter, a paid on call Lieutenant, Captain, and Training officer. In 2000 he was hired on full time as Assistant Chief of Operations and Training. The never ending task of training, along with duties such as equipment and vehicle maintenance, soon morphed into instruction and management of the Comox Fire Training Center. At the same time, Rick joined into a partnership with The Justice Institute of BC as an adjunct instructor of Fire Service Instructor, Emergency Scene Management and Live Fire programs. Rick is also enrolled in the JIBC Fire Officer Certificate program, and is nearing completion of Level 4. He also had the opportunity in 2010 to serve as a Fire/Rescue Team Leader at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver/Whistler.

View fullsize

CFR: Was there any specific event that first interested you in becoming a fire fighter?

Previously to working at Comox Fire Rescue, I owned and operated a Chimney Installation and maintenance Company and had watched the Fire Department at several chimney and structure fires.  It got me thinking that both parties could benefit from me joining up. I was an expert on chimneys, and was self employed and able to respond often.

CFR: What is your favourite part of working at Comox Fire Rescue (or working in the valley in general)?

The members and people involved with the organization. The job never gets tired, as management is always looking to the future and ways to make intelligent and innovative changes to better the organization and the fire service as a whole. Also, working with the Comox Fire Training Center has been very rewarding, as we strive to provide high level, cost effective certified training to firefighters from BC, Alberta and beyond.

CFR: Outside of the fire department, what are your interests/hobbies?

Travelling the world with my wife Debbie and our backpacks has been an enlightening experience since being convinced to follow this mode of travel by good friends. Experiencing different lands, cultures and their people have given us a different view on life, and the realization of just how lucky we are to work and live here in the Comox Valley. Fishing is another of my passions, I love being out on the water wherever we may be.

CFR: What are some major changes you have seen in the fire service industry during your career?

The initiation of training standards, and embracing an environment of safety as the top priority for our members.  

CFR: If you could change one thing about the fire service, what would it be?

The relationships between Career and Volunteer/POC departments and personnel. While significant progress has been made over the last decade, old school thinking and teachings are still prevalent. We must continue to work toward a complete brother/sisterhood in our vocation and should be setting of how working together makes us stronger.

Thanks very much to Assistant Chief Shelton for his years of dedicated service to the town of Comox!

Meet our Members: Adam Lariviere

Adam is a NFPA 1001 level 2 firefighter who received his certification here at Comox Fire Rescue. Joining in 2012 at age 18, he became a fully qualified firefighter by age 19. He is in his last semester of the Criminology program at North Island College and works part time at the fire hall. Adam is a very skilled member and has responded to over 300 calls. Having him at the station during day time operating hours allows us to respond faster and more efficiently, greatly increasing the quality of our public service.

View fullsize

"Growing up, I didn't really know what I wanted to do for a living. Participating in the semester-long Youth Program and the spring break Youth Camp set in stone that I wanted to pursue firefighting as my career. In June of 2012, I decided to make my dream a reality and join Comox Fire Rescue as a paid-on-call firefighter. With the help of some amazing instructors and incredible training facilities and opportunities, I became fully certified in October of 2013 and have continued to learn and grow as a firefighter. I feel very lucky to have my dad, along with the Comox training officers, mentor me in the fire service and help me learn as much as possible."

- Adam

View fullsize

Chief Schreiner states: "Adam has been a great addition to our team and is one of a handful of father son teams we have. He is a very capable and well trained firefighter.  It is great to watch these young people grow into mature adults who are giving back to the communities they live in."

Meet our Members: Joel Bellavance

Joel Bellavance is an NFPA 1001 level 2 firefighter who received his qualification from Training Division in Texas. Joel contacted our fire department with the idea that he would volunteer his time here during daytime hours (when we typically have less volunteer firefighters to draw from) in exchange for the experience of responding to incidents and increasing his firefighting skills in our awesome training centre. This type of format is often referred to as a work experience program.

For us it seemed like a great idea and a win/win.  We get some skilled assistance for free and Joel gets to learn more about the fire service and sharpen and enhance his skills.

View fullsize

"For the past two years, I have been pursuing my dream of becoming a career firefighter. I have been taking the required qualifications and courses to apply to full-time departments throughout Canada. Many departments receive thousands of applications every year. I knew that becoming  a volunteer firefighter and getting real work experience would greatly increase my chances of getting hired.

In the fall of 2014 I started researching several volunteer departments in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island, and after seeing the Comox Fire Rescue website and reading about Chief Schreiner and his department, I was very impressed. I contacted Chief Schreiner to see if there was an opportunity available and we arranged a mutually beneficial agreement.

I moved to Comox in January and started with the department right away. Everyone in the department has been very friendly and welcoming; they are like one big family. They all have a lot of experience, training and knowledge and I have been like a sponge soaking it all up!"

- Joel

Joel has been a great fit for us. He has already bonded with many of our firefighters and has made a very positive impact in his short time with us. He volunteers about three full days a week in our station which greatly improves our overall response time. Joel has also helped with many of our public services such as our smoke alarm campaign, station tours, and youth programs to name a few. Joel has already responded to over a dozen incidents.

Chief Schreiner states: “I am very impressed with our first try at a work experience program and I think we will be looking at expanding this opportunity to others in the future. Joel has been a great asset and is well suited to a fire service career.”

View fullsize