Meet our Members: Rob Stevens

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

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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: Ron Barrow

This week on Meet our Members, we interview Ron Barrow!

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Lieutenant Ron Barrow

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

My career as a Search and Rescue Technician in the Airforce posted me back to my home town of Comox in 1999.

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

I met the dedicated professionals within the CFD which lead me to join in 2002. That atmosphere continues to be a big part of the reward for me.

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

Contributing to our communities well being and participating in the continuous learning and professional development offered in the Training Centre have motivated me from the beginning.

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Lieutenant Barrow training new recruits at the Comox Fire Training Centre

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

I enjoy all outdoor activities, with friends and family all year round. Especially boating and fishing with my wife Destinee and spending time with our grown boys Blayne, Jayden and Cedar...woof!

Thank you Ron for your many years of dedicated volunteer service!

Meet our Members: Matthew Meredith

This week on Meet our Members, I interview myself!

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

A "brief background" of my fire service career is exactly that - brief! I joined Comox Fire Rescue in 2013 with no experience in the industry and have trained hard and loved every minute of it since.

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

Pure blind luck led me to CFR. I had moved to the Comox Valley and was so desperate for work that I took a job delivering newspapers. I happened to deliver to the fire hall and one day there was a "Daytime Responders Required" sign out front. I filled out my application the next day and was ecstatic to be accepted as part of the team.

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

The valley really is a beautiful place to live. I love the mountains, the ocean, and the wilderness in between - and Comox has it all! Being a part of CFR has given me a great group of friends and the extensive community involvement makes for an incredibly rewarding life.

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

I enjoy biking, hiking, camping out of a backpack, fishing, and hunting. I also tinker on wood and metalworking projects, and can't think of a better way to spend an evening than making homemade pizza and spending quality time with my family.

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

A major shift towards the use of practical technology is something that I've noticed since I started four years ago. As someone who is computer-savvy, I was asked to be a part of the process of digitising our "Pre-Incident Plans" from huge binders of paper to PDF files on tablets located in each apparatus. Since then we have also converted many of our departmental forms to a digital version which allows us to use less paper, collect statistics and information, and operate more efficiently.

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

I would work towards a greater public knowledge of what we do and how we operate at an emergency scene. In order to keep everyone safe (firefighters and civilians), the public needs to know what to do when they encounter a situation such as a brush fire, house fire, vehicle collision, hydro line down, etc... If we're all on the same page, everything runs much smoother and with less chance of injury.

Chief Schreiner states: "Matt has been an outstanding member of our department for 4 years now. He brings with him lots of innovation, dedication and commitment. He has assisted our department with electronic preplans for our rigs and has developed many other leading edge systems for us. It is people like Matt that makes this such a great department."

Meet our Members: Adam Auld

This week on Meet our Members, we interview our newest Work Experience member Adam Auld!

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

I've been a volunteer firefighter in Whitestone, Ontario for 5 years. I work full time as a rope rescue technician at Firewise training and consulting for 2 years.

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

I got interested in the fire service when I was 17 and joined my local fire department. I always wanted a job where I can help people and make a difference. Also I enjoy the variety and challenge the fire service offers

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

My favourite part about volunteering for Comox Fire (other than the view of the mountains) is the amount of community involvement we do.

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

Outside the department I enjoy hunting, fishing and atving.

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

The biggest change I've seen being in the fire service is the precautionary measure taken to help reduce the risk of cancers in firefighters.

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Meet our Members: Jon Watkins

This week on Meet our Members, we interview 2017 Rookie of the Year Jon Watkins!

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

I have only just completed one year in the fire service and I anticipate that this is the first of many. I have learned a vast amount about the fire service from some fantastic instructors here while getting great experience to a wide variety of calls. In addition to this I have been able to train in hazmat awareness and operations, live fire scenarios, survival techniques and rescue training, structure protection training (and deployment), medical first responder training and so much more. I have found very quickly that being a member of Comox Fire Rescue is an incredibly rewarding path.

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

There was no single event that interested me in becoming a firefighter however, I am glad I decided to put an application in. Having one year in the service has certainly made me interested in learning as much as I can and furthering my knowledge and experience in the fire service! I would encourage anyone who is on the fence to put an application in, it is by far one of the best decisions I have ever made.

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

Certainly the camaraderie, whether its training, doing fitness, sharing a meal, or working on a stressful call I can trust any member here as much as any other. We all look out for one another which makes for a fantastic work environment.

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

(When I’m not working) I enjoy kayaking, hiking or playing ultimate frisbee.

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

Although I have only been in the industry for a short time, I can see how many new technologies are rapidly emerging and have the potential to change the work firefighters perform and how they will perform it in the near future. Comox Fire Rescue certainly takes a proactive approach to this which is hugely beneficial to learning, as we have even more tools to train and operate with.

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

More public education and awareness. Before I joined the fire service I had no idea how complex and in depth the industry and the trade of fire fighting is. I’m looking forward to further developing my skills and completing my NFPA 1001’s.

Chief Schreiner states, "Jon has been a great addition to our team. He has proven to be a very capable and dedicated member. It is because of people like Jon that we have a great department and can provide outstanding services to our citizens."