Volunteer Profiles

(A new volunteer profile will appear on this page every month)

Captain Adrian Hanson

Adrian Hanson joined up at age 16 because being a firefighter was “cool” and 19 years later the only way to describe this veteran is to say: He does it all.

Sometimes it’s hard to understand why a person would devote 19 years – including thousands of hours training away from the family – to this volunteer profession. For Adrian the answer is simple: “I have the knowledge and reassurance of knowing that my family and community are safe and I have something to do with it.”

And, it sure helps to have support at home. Adrian says his wife Leigh, son Nathan and daughter Devan are “proud and feel that the department is like an extended family.”

Some off the toughest training he did was early at age 19 when he took DND Fire Training at Esquimalt and was learning how to be an officer and have older people listen to him and trust his judgment. 

Over the years two emergencies stand out in his mind: “There was a house fire and I think I was on my third or fourth air bottle in a row right beside Chief Charlie.  The other was a bush fire and we needed forest service help and the water bomber made its first drop.“

When Adrian is not in fire gear, he works in construction and enjoys seeing the finished product. “I also enjoy coaching my wo kid’s baseball team, playing roller hockey, and going for walks on Pender,” he says.

First Responder Julie Gray

When First Responder Julie Gray moved back to Pender in April 2008 it did not take her long to figure out where she belonged.

A Nationally Registered Paramedic (U.S.A), Julie says she wanted to keep her hands in EMS, and give something back to the community. Being a volunteer at PIFR is “a privilege,” she says.

“I have owned property here for four years. I have been living in the USA for 10 years, and it was time to come home. I'm really glad to be here.

“I have had many different occupations in

my life. I think life is about having a great variety of experiences. Besides my paramedic training, I have an Associate Degree in Ophthalmic Dispensing. I try to stay physically fit and enjoy running and weight training. If there’s something new to learn, I'll probably sign on in a heartbeat. I love to teach, and even if it sounds corny, I always learn more from my students than they learn from me.”

Julie says her mom is glad she’s back in Canada. “A number of my co workers were seriously injured over the years where I worked, and I know she worried about me.”

Captain Ian Elliott

No one was surprised at this year’s PIFR awards banquet when Captain Ian Elliott received two prestigious awards, Responder of the Year and the Community Service Award.

In his role as Area Emergency Program Coordinator for the Southern Gulf Islands, Ian is totally immersed in the business of keep our island communities safe from harm.  His bio speaks volumes about his service and dedication: PIFD member since 1997 serving as a fire fighter, engineer, safety officer, training officer and captain; Pender SAR member since 1995 serving as a team member, team leader, training officer and currently SAR Manager Southern Gulf Islands; Chair of the Capital Region Emergency Coordinators Commission; National Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Emergency Managers and past president of several community volunteer organizations here and on Salt Spring Island.

“Volunteer community service has been part of my life since my family’s move to the Southern Gulf Islands,” Ian says. “Both my wife’s family and mine were involved in many volunteer community organizations on Salt Spring Island, and Carolyn and I have continued that tradition ever since we were married on Salt Spring and with our new life on Pender Island. We have always encouraged our children to also volunteer their time whenever possible to help maintain a sense of community spirit.”

“Having spent many years as a builder on the Islands, I transitioned into professional emergency management in 2005. My professional duties are very similar to my volunteer emergency services work. I provide support to the Island emergency programs on the Southern Gulf Islands, and am pleased to continue to volunteer my time helping to provide emergency, fire/rescue, medical, and SAR service to the community. “

Ian and Carolyn Elliott (Pender’s Postmaster) have been married for 24 years. They grew up in the same neighbourhood on Salt Spring Island. They have three grown children, Sarah 23, Gordon 21, and Michael 19. 

Captain Alan Neil

With more than 15 years volunteer service under his belt Alan Neil is truly a veteran at PIFR. Those years of volunteering just came naturally to the Vernon-born electrician. Being raised in the volunteering tradition by missionary parents really gave Alan a head start.

After missionary assignments in BC, Alberta and Ethiopia, Alan and his family came to Pender when he was still in grade school. After finishing high school at GISS on Salt Spring, Alan joined the Canadian Armed Forces for six and a half years. "This enabled me to serve our country and also see more of Canada and Europe. Returning to Pender in 1991, I soon discovered that the fire department was the place to be. Some of my friends were members and soon the members were friends,” Alan says.

When Alan returned to Pender he apprenticed as an electrician and 18 years later he is still enjoying his profession. Over the years his role as a volunteer and his skills as an electrician have proven complementary as he is often asked to teach hydro safety. Alan’s dedication to the department and his skills resulted in his promotion to Captain. “This proved to be an interesting challenge which enabled me to cement my knowledge of fire department procedures by teaching them to others,” he says.

In the mid 1990s Alan took a leave from the department and served a term on the local Island Trust Advisory Planning Committee and also on the Pender Island Recycling Board. When he returned to PIFR he was again promoted to Captain. He says: “Working on the department’s Health and Safety Committee and serving as the Communications Officer broadened my viewpoint and ability and allowed me to serve our community in an expanded capacity.”

Over the years he has also learned that being a fire fighter is more grit than glamour. “I’ve learned many interesting things … for instance it’s cold putting on your turnout gear while strapped in on the rear of the pumper on the way to a call. And even though you put the wet stuff on the red stuff, it doesn’t always make the fire go out.”

Recently Alan attained his First Responder Instructor’s Certificate and is looking forward to working in the capacity of a First Responder trainer for the department.

Helene Halladay

With a passion for fire fighting and a driving goal to make volunteering a vocation, Helene Halladay has found a perfect home at PIFR.

Helene grew up on a cattle ranch near Rocky Mountain House in Alberta. As the crow flies it isn't all that far away, but the route she took to get to Pender was global in scope.

With a Bachelor of Science degree from Simon Fraser University tucked under her arm, Helene began her adventures in 1991 spending three months in Kenya, Africa. In 1993 she went to Asia for four years, taught English in Japan and spent one year in India. Back in Canada she settled in Victoria and discovered Pender Island.

“After having lived in Tokyo for two years I was happy to get away from cities and moved here in 1998,” she says. “I began exploring my options. I wanted to develop a skill with which I could earn a good wage while in Canada and that I could use while volunteering in the developing world. My dream is to travel and contribute at the same time for the betterment of humankind. So I became a journeywoman carpenter in 2005. I love my job and I am self-employed.

Helene says in the process of analyzing her life she realized she wanted to volunteer in Canada as well as abroad. “When I saw a PIFR female fire fighter I knew that was what I wanted to do. I joined PIFR in 2000. Volunteering at PIFR helps the community and the personal satisfaction and self-esteem areessential to me.”

Helene is a fire fighter and first responder. “At a fire call I am eager to do any job assigned to me. On first responder calls I often take a position of reassuring and comforting the patient with my knowledge of Kinesiology (study of human movement). The training PIFR has provided has given me the confidence to assist with the physical care of patients.”

“Being single with my family living in Alberta I find I have a Fire Department "family" that cares and looks out for me. I feel privileged to live in such a beautiful peaceful place and I am grateful for the opportunity to help out. Pender Island has become my home and when I do eventually start traveling again I will always return to Pender to live, work and volunteer with PIFR.”