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What’s New
The PIFR family enjoys a Merry Christmas
Jolly Old Saint Nick paid a special visit to Pender Island's Community Hall to bring Christmas cheers to Devan Hanson and all the young folk in the PIFR extended family.
Bruce and Dana McConchie organized a wonderful Christmas singalong.
Chief Charlie Boyte and Fire Protection Society Chair Gordon Souter thanked the volunteers and their spouses for their great work and sacrifices keeping our commnuity safe in 2009.
Public Education Award
Comes Home To Pender
Pender Island Fire Rescue has been awarded the “Al Lonneberg Fire Safety & Public Education Award” in recognition of its wildfire prevention program delivered at the BC Ferries Swartz Bay Terminal in the summer. In a ceremony at the Office of the Fire Commissioner the award was accepted by Fire Chief Charlie Boyte and Deputy Fire Chief Mike Dine who has been responsible for the program. Presenting the award were: Volunteer Fire Fighters Association of BC Director Rick Starke and Deputy Fire Commissioner of BC Dave Ferguson (right). This is the third time PIFR has won this award.
Fire Prevention Week ... a learning experience
ABOVE: Capt. Adrian Hanson shows Magic Lakes resident Donna Hains how to put out a stove top fire with a standard household extinguisher.
BELOW: South Penderites Robin and Heide Goldie have their extinguishers tested and re-certified for free by Sidney Fire Equipment Sales Operations Manager Mark Austin.
Reprinted from Fire Fighting in Canada, September 2009 edition
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Community spirit
Chief enlists local experts to boost numbers and morale
By Brian Kieran
Pender Island, B.C. – In the early part of 2005 there weren’t
a lot of defining moments at Pender Island Fire Rescue
(PIFR) that folks were rushing to capture for posterity in the fire-hall scrapbook.
Some of the department’s volunteers and some members of this Gulf Islands community were conflicted about the future
of the department. The ranks of dedicated volunteers were thin and these who remained were becoming emotionally and physically exhausted. Morale was drifting.
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Pender Island’s youngest firefighter, Matt Kordyback, 19, becomes a fire prevention ambassador every Saturday at the farmers’ market. Youngsters, particularly those visiting from urban centres like Vancouver, just have fun while their parents get the message. |
When Chief Charlie Boyte returned to lead the department in late 2005 it was obvious he had some huge challenges. He recalls: “Most articles I read said increasing call volumes, service demands and demands to meet health, safety and training requirements were overwhelming volunteer fire departments and that these demands were not sustainable in a changing demographic.”
Talk about a changing demographic. Pender Island could write the book. The pool of young, fit adults in this community of 2,500 was very shallow and those who would traditionally be potential firefighters were raising young families and making a living in a small and relatively isolated setting. And, it seemed as if most of the new blood moving onto the island was, in fact, old blood . . . retirees and mature professionals looking to kick back and enjoy the fruits of lifelong labours.
Chief Boyte was not prepared to let these challenges compromise the department’s ability to provide effective, comprehensive service. He had some ideas and was chomping at the bit to try them out.
First things first. The volunteer force had dwindled to 14 active members while service demands continued to grow. Determined to get PIFR back on track, Chief Boyte launched a three-pronged strategy starting with a 360 assessment.
“I needed a process to identify the issues affecting morale in the core group so I designed an evaluation and then sat down with the group and had each member evaluate each member, including myself. To be truthful, I did not know this process was called a 360 assessment. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
The assessment confirmed that PIFR’s core group was values-based. These values included community mindedness, honesty, integrity, commitment, empathy, concern, care and compassion. It was clear to Chief Boyte that a strategy to build a sustainable organization had to be true to the values that kept the core intact.
With some exceptional help from a volunteer HR professional, Chief Boyte set out to re-focus the core and establish a common mission. The result of this work was a renewed commitment. Best of all, core members trusted management to support them.
“As well, we were able to regain the commitment of eight members who had drifted away and, with a new core group of 22 we set out to build the department,” Chief Boyte says.
The second prong of the strategy was redesigning the management team to capitalize on the skill sets of officers.
“We needed to put our leaders in positions that complemented their skill sets and empowered them to be successful in their work.”
The appointment of Deputy Chief Mike Dine was key to the management restructuring. He was an entrepreneur and businessman who offered superior organizational skills, great recruiting and interview skills and a clear understanding of values-based hiring.
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Pender Island Fire Rescue Chief Charlie Boyte returned in 2005 to lead the B.C. department, which at the time had just 14 active members. |
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“We needed to find a new way to do business and Deputy Chief Dine’s skill set allowed us to recruit more people, avoid conflict and achieve sustainability. The values of these recruits had to be consistent with those of the core group. Anything less would result in conflicts and dishonour the commitment of the core group,” the chief says.
“We realized we were sitting on a community full of experienced people from diverse backgrounds and we knew their skills would help us achieve a robust sustainable volunteer force.”
The final step was to analyze the complicated jobs members were being asked to perform and to look for opportunities to job share or job split. This would allow PIFR to implement a program of task-specific recruiting and tap into the broad range of skills available in the changing community.
With the stage set, Chief Boyte focused the management team on:
- Taking the load off the dedicated core of volunteer firefighters and first responders by recruiting support from a broad range of skills and talents in the community;
- Recruiting new task-specific firefighters and responders;
- And identifying a new spectrum of potential firefighters from the changing demographic.
Deputy Chief Dine assumed personnel and training responsibilities and enjoyed great success recruiting volunteers to perform tasks that had been onerous for responders. And, with three fire halls spread across North and South Pender, 10 pieces of apparatus to maintain and more than 200 call-outs annually, it was not an insignificant challenge.
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Because of the Gulf Islands’ steep terrain and ocean-side cliffs, rope rescue is a priority for Pender Island Fire Rescue. Firefighters (left to right) Rob Chatfield, Valerie Smith and Ikey McPhee perform technical high-angle rope rescue training on the bluffs above Medicine Beach.
Photo by Nathan Hanson |
Hall maintenance, truck washing, inventory control, records keeping, meal prep, website development, public and media relations, grant application writing . . . the list of chores was long, but talented individuals in the community answered the call in significant numbers.
“We were recruiting a completely new type of volunteer . . . professionals and skilled retirees,” Chief Boyte says. “These people were talented, organized and offered insights that come with life experience.
“With their help we were educating a much broader cross-section of the community about the complexities of running a volunteer fire department and we were building community support.”
PIFR’s success in recruiting created a new dynamic. The core group, re-focused on delivering service excellence, was pressing management for training to support their goals.
“Quite frankly, volunteer training regimes in B.C. were forever shifting underneath us. The programs offered were not accredited and the validity of training was constantly being challenged.
“This left our volunteers feeling like their time was being wasted. We needed a training program that was robust, internationally accredited and based on standards that could not be reasonably challenged. So we formed partnerships with the surrounding departments and set out to deliver the NFPA 1001 level 2 Pro Board and IFSAC accredited program.
“By delivering training in a modular format, we were able to customize it to meet the needs of task-specific responders, get new recruits on the ground quicker and offer younger members the opportunity to achieve training valid almost everywhere in North America. The program met professional pre-employment standards and attracted recruits wishing to pursue a career in fire fighting,” the chief says.
Recruiting from the changing demographic created a new pool of volunteers outside the typical 18 to 40 recruiting envelope. These were physically fit people – male and female, younger and older. To integrate this diverse new group of volunteers the applicant screening process was revamped to a “values-based” hiring system.
“PIFR’s enhanced hiring criteria included typical screening processes such as criminal records checks, drivers’ abstracts, interviews and reference checks. Added to this was a new focus on values and ethics. Conduct expectations were now clearly stated and each new member was required to sign an oath to honour PIFR’s standards,” the chief says.
“In small communities across Canada the only affordable way to provide comprehensive fire and rescue serviced is with a volunteer force. And, the best way to make it sustainable is to build it on a values-based foundation.”
Today, PIFR has 84 volunteers – men and women, from all walks of life, 16 to 60, working together with minimal conflict, embracing change. On the frontline where the need was greatest, the number of active, pager-carrying responders has jumped to 47 from 14 in 2005.
“Best of all, now we are able to provide a broader range of services to our community,” Boyte says, ”including fire prevention education, fire suppression, rope rescue, vehicle extraction and first response in medical emergencies. And, we are doing it with a renewed sense of purpose, pride and honour.”
Capt. Adrian Hanson named Responder of the Year
The Pender Island Fire Rescue family gathered at Poet’s Cove Resort March 20 for our annual awards banquet, our big opportunity each year to really celebrate the tireless service of our volunteers.
Our ability to reward our volunteers for their efforts is never equal to the sacrifices they make to keep our community safe, but at least the annual banquet is one way we have to convey our gratitude in a tangible way.
This year we had a lot to celebrate. We now have 47 men and women carrying pagers and ready to respond at a moment’s notice 24 hours a day seven days a week. That amounts to more than 400,000 hours of volunteer on call time.
The award for Responder of the Year went to Captain Adrian Hanson, a 20 year veteran of PIFR. What makes this award so special is that it is voted on by the members themselves who judge their fellow volunteers on a number of personal and service qualities. Adrian’s positive attitude, compassion, commitment, knowledge and his leadership as a role model earned him the votes of his comrades.
The Community Service Award for most hours spent in support of community functions went to first year Fire Fighter/Engineer Greg Hankins. And, 17-year veteran Captain Alan Neil received the award for Most Calls and Training Sessions Attended. With his duty shifts and meeting hours added Alan contributed a whopping 1407 volunteer hours last year.
We also were able to celebrate service of another kind. Peter Kappele, who has just retired as a member of the Pender Islands Fire Protection Society board of directors, was made an honorary lifetime member of the department. Peter’s service on the board – including terms as vice-president and president – and his dedication to improve fire services on North and South Pender Island stretched back to 1997.
Chief Charlie Boyte was honoured to receive the Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal. The medal, created 1985, honours members of a recognized Canadian fire service who have completed 20 years of service, 10 years of which have been served in the performance of duties involving potential risks. Exemplary service is characterized by good conduct, industry and efficiency. Frazer Schouten, who could not attend the awards event, also received the service medal.
Another 20 members received awards for service to the community ranging from one to 10 years including Deputy Chief Mike Dine who is now in his 11th year.
Special thanks go to the management and staff at Poet’s Cove Resort who bent over backwards to make the awards banquet so special. Poet’s Cove should also be recognized for making it possible for us to enjoy this special event in one of the most spectacular locations on Pender Island.
There are no “gimmees” when it comes to fire
By Sandy Johnson, The Class of '08
 3:40 am: The shrill wail of your pager. Out of a warm bed, into the cold, a cautious rush to the Firehall. Into 20 pounds of boots, helmet and flame resistant armour. Climb into the waiting truck and with lights flashing and siren moaning, into the night again.
Roadside slipping past, images caught in the intermittent red lights. Catching your reflection in the window glass, hoping that it’s “just” a structure fire, and that no lives are in jeopardy tonight. Hoping that you will be able to make the difference in the coming battle.
On the scene of the fire, antlers of flame creeping out the windows of somebody’s home. Another 30 pounds of breathing gear on your back, and into the fight. Sometime later, spent and reeking of smoke, you look back at the defeated dragon, the fire extinguished. Lives and property saved, the community protected, your contribution made – until the next time.
For many of us, that was our vision of becoming a firefighter with Pender Island Fire Rescue. What we didn’t appreciate was the amount and intensity of the training we would complete before that first late-night ride. We would spend dozens of evenings and many weekends learning the theory and practical skills necessary to safely and effectively battle fires. Written and oral examinations, hands-on practice and evaluations, all would have to be passed.
For the PIFR Class of 2008, that training culminated in late November in an exercise called Live Fire I and II, , at the Otter Point Fire Training Centre near Sooke.The Otter Point Fire Training Facility consists of multiple propane-fuelled training props, as well as a two storey, fire-proof multi-room structure. For training, wood fires were laid and set inside the building for us. Live Fire was four days of demonstrating and refining our hard-earned skills and knowledge under the constant and rigorous evaluation of veteran career fire fighters from the BC Justice Institute.
To wear the yellow helmet of a qualified Structural Firefighter, we all would have to meet international standards of understanding, competence, and judgement. The National Fire Protection Association (1001 level 2) defines clear and unequivocal requirements for firefighters. Fire does not care if it is being fought by a full-time career firefighter, or by
a volunteer on a small island. The chemistry, the behaviour, and the dangers are the same. There are no “gimmees” in firefighting - or in training firefighters.
For all of us, the training we had received on Pender over the last year had prepared us well for Live Fire. The tasks we had to complete included assessing fire situations, executing interior and exterior attacks on actual fires inside the training facility, completing search and rescue for victims inside the burning structure, managing vehicle fires, hydrocarbon spill fires, propane tank fires, and dumpster or trash fires. In short, almost the full range of fire fighting situations we might expect back home.
Perhaps like you, I had no appreciation of how hard it is to actually approach a fire close enough to extinguish it with a minimum amount of water. Crawling into a burning building, into temperatures higher than what most Thanksgiving turkeys see, totally blinded by smoke, with only the air in the bottle on your back to breathe, an 1 ½” hose in hand – this experience helped me understand that fire fighting was, perhaps, more challenging than I first thought. Doing this time after time, with increasingly difficult circumstances - victims to find and rescue, multiple fires on different structure levels, and the controlled confusion of multiple teams in the building – gave us not only experience, but a calm confidence that we could safely fight the dragon. It also gave us the trust and confidence with our teammates, and with all of the successful participants in the course. Confidence in the equipment we wore and carried; confidence in the breathing apparatus on our backs. Confidence in the training we had received and confidence in the leadership of our department. And the BC Justice Institute agreed, passing all twelve of the Pender Island volunteers who challenged this years’ Live Fire testing.
Completing the 2008 Live Fire training were Alaia Hamer, Alyssa Woollcombe, Braedon Bigham, Greg Hankins, Isaac Nicholson, Ikey McPhee, Matthew Kordyback, Mike Bradley, Richard Lamy, Rob Chatfield, Valerie Smith, and Sandy Johnson. As one of those volunteers, I’m grateful to our community, to our department leadership – Chief Charlie Boyte and Deputy Chief Mike Dine, and to our main instructor Mitch Sherrin, for teaching us well, and for providing the opportunity for us to test ourselves, and to demonstrate that we are ready to serve.
One final note, we all are especially grateful to Kelly Dine, who gave her time and hard work to prepare our meals for the whole training period, and to provide constant support through four long days of challenges.
There’s a New Water Tender on Pender
The Pender Islands Fire Protection Society Board authorized the purchase of a new water tender to replace our 30-year-old unit. Despite a rigorous maintenance program to keep the old girl is service, she broke down on July 4th just as the fire hazard moved to high. Chief Charlie Boyte’s recommendation to the Board was to replace the tender with a new unit, as the cost for repairs was prohibitive and dependability and serviceability of the vehicle no longer reliable.
Funding for this purchase was made possible through our equipment replacement funds that are held in reserve for this very reason. Approximately 30 suppliers were contacted, specs reviewed and six were short listed for pricing and in depth review of specifications. The supplier we chose was Midwest Fire Equipment in Luverne, Minnesota. They are a small company that specializes in tenders and that builds 50 trucks each year for the fire service. Because they are a comparatively small manufacturer the large mark-ups some of the major suppliers must charge for dealer networks were avoided. Also because the company does not normally deliver into Canada we took on the process of importing the vehicle which saved considerably more in dealer fees.
The dollar value dollar was exceptional. Vehicles investigated with comparable specs ranged from $209,000 to $289,000. Chief Boyte flew to the Midwest factory on the 15th of July to inspect the truck prior to purchase. The truck was well made, according to the specifications presented and ready to be delivered. He was able to negotiate a price of $145,782 approximately $7,500 below their list price.
The sale was completed on July 17th and it arrived on Pender on the 31st. It was a big project but we now have a 2008 fire tender ready to roll and one that will serve the community for at least the next 20 years.
Working with the kids is a winner for PIFR
One of the important elements of our efforts at PIFR that really brings smiles to our faces is the work we do with children. Our ability to introduce them to the world of firefighting and to teach them to stay safe is very important to the volunteers and me.
The recent annual Fun Day at Pender Island School was a perfect example of our engagement with the young people. One of their favorite activities was an obstacle course organized by our volunteers. It provides opportunities for students to learn about firefighting, the skills involved and the equipment used.
By giving students an opportunity to don firefighting equipment, perform a simulated rescue and man a fire hose, we hope to spark interest in the cadet program and ensure the long-term continuity of fire fighting services on our island. The volunteer firefighters and school staff value this and other opportunities to cooperate in the provision of programs that ensure student and family safety and promote the value of service to the community.
On June 20th we were also able to help escort 19 children and adults who rode their bikes from Fire Hall #3 on South Pender to Hope Bay. It was the Every Penny Bike-A-Thon organized by Pender Island student Mac Dine, the son of our Deputy Chief Mike Dine. More than $4,000 was raised to fund Leslie McBain’s work for impoverished Kenyan children and families.
Birthday thrills at Fire Hall #1
It’s not every day that a birthday boy gets his chums together for a party at the Fire Hall. But, that’s exactly what happened for Lawson MacDonald and six of his friends this summer.
The event was an auction item at the Robbie Burns Night with proceeds of the auction going to help the Pender Island Pipe Band.
Pender Island Fire Rescue offered Hall #1 and the volunteers donated a total of 24 hours to make the event the thrill it was for the youngsters and their parents.
Deputy Chief Mike Dine said: “We set up a full blown Fire Fit Challenge for these kids along with a Scavenger Hunt a BBQ and a Big Cake. The kids were blown away and so were the parents. It was a lot of work but it was worth it.”
PIFR Awards Ceremony -- February 2008
The awards dinner was held recently at Poet’s Cove was an event designed to celebrate the achievements of individual volunteers, but it began fittingly with a personal tribute to all the “significant others” in attendance.
Wendy Hacking, wife of Pender Island Fire Protection Society Vice-President Peter Kappelle, thanked the spouses of fire fighters and first responders for the “support and encouragement” they provide their hard working volunteers. And, as a “user” of the island’s fire and rescue services, she also praised the dedication and professionalism of the volunteers.For the more than 60 volunteers and spouses who attended the awards dinner, Wendy’s kind words were all the praise they needed.
 For the most part our volunteers work tirelessly with little public recognition. The 2008 award winners are as follows:
“Responder of the Year,” went to Captain Ian Elliott. Ian also received the “Community Service Award” and his certificate for 10 years service. (You can read more about Captain Elliott on the Meet Our Volunteers page.)
Other award winners included: Captain Al Neil (15 years Certificate of Achievement, “Most Calls & Training Attended Award”), Captain Adrian Hanson (18 years, Fire Fit Award), Captain Rob Southey (13 years, Fire Fit Award), Helene Halladay (six years, Fire Fit Award), Darcy Vickery (10 years), Dana McConchie (four years), Corrine McAuley (four years), Paul Hutcheson and Stuart Scholefield (one year). Retiring fire fighters Kim Davis and Chris Watson also received Certificates of Service for five and 12 years respectively. Captain Fraser Schouten was recognized for 20 years service and Frazer and Chief Boyte will be receiving 20 Year Governor General’s Medals.
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