Younger Generation Firefighters Continue Their Education While Staying With the Force

Craig Bakay | Feb 03, 2017

There’s a curious trend that’s been developing over the last little while and Central Frontenac Fire Chief Bill Young is all for it.

What we’re talking about here is younger firefighters going away to school but returning home on a regular basis to continue their training and land a hand whenever and wherever they can.

“We have this younger generation of firefighters who want to be on the department while they get their education,” said Young. “It works.”

Currently the Central Frontenac force has four members who continue their training and time on the force while getting their post secondary education — Andrew Hole, Simon Gowdy, Suzanne Allison and Dave Basra.

“Clayton Conboy and and Jason Conboy did that too, so yeah, we have a few,” said Young. “The young ones are stepping up to the plate.”

Young said he can “see it becoming a regular thing” because it gives him more personnel and it’s building for the future.

“We have our junior program which begins at age 16 and when they become 18, they’re regular firefighters,” he said. “But, that’s also about the time they’re ready to head off to further education.

“So, we work around that because we don’t want to turn anybody away and after all, fire fighting is a young person’s game.”

For Basra, who’s in his second year of electronics engineering technology at Algonquin College in Ottawa as well as pulling regular shifts at the family PetroCan business in Sharbot Lake, admits it can be “challenging” at times but after going through the junior program, he was hooked on fire fighting and can’t imagine not doing it.

“My (firefighting) training is going well,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed learning how pumps and nozzles and things work and now we’re doing ice water training.

“I don’t want to miss that.”

He said it’s a matter of “balance” and because school will lead him to a full-time job, there are times when it has to take priority.

“It’s OK,” he said. “If we get a call and they need lots of guys, I’ll go.

“I did have to miss one training session because of exams, but I don’t like to miss too many.”

But that’s OK with the Chief.

“They’ve been very dedicated,” Young said. “They make the effort to get here for training nights.

“I don’t say anything if they miss a night because they can’t stop their education.”