DIDSBURY - A longtime Didsbury firefighter was recently honoured for 40 years of service.
Bob Wright began with the Didsbury Fire Department back in 1977 and is still going strong as the department's safety officer.
Wright was given a 40-year service medal by Lt.- Gov. Lois Mitchell at the Alberta Fire Chiefs Convention in Red Deer on July 11.
He was also honoured at a barbecue and ice cream social at the Didsbury Fire Hall on June 14. Also honoured at both events was Darron Campbell for 20 years of service, nine of which were in Didsbury.
Wright told the Gazette that he very much enjoys the camaraderie with the other firefighters and being able to give back to the community.
"Presently I'm the safety officer," said Wright. "Over the years I've had different positions. I'm getting close to retirement. It's a young man's sport. I look after a bunch of the safety requirements for the department. It's great. I've been doing it all my life."
Wright worked as a full-time firefighter with the City of Calgary from 1975 until his retirement from their department in 2010.
"I still have the community spirit so I still go out and help the volunteers," he said. "I still enjoy it. I've seen a lot of changes over the years; a lot of growth."
Wright said the biggest changes he has seen have been in technology and equipment.
"Everything from the vehicles to the equipment the guys wear, the breathing apparatuses, the personal protective equipment," he said. "It's different than 40 years ago, that's for sure. Back then we road on the tailboards of the engines. You had a strap bag and that was it. Now you're in closed cabs. The personal equipment, the duty gear, the helmets are all better."
Wright said he has met a large number of people through firefighting.
"I've had a chance to work with a lot of different people," he said. "People who wanted to be involved with their community. Many of them have moved on with their occupations and live somewhere else."
Wright said it was sometimes hectic volunteering with the Didsbury department while commuting to Calgary for work.
"I was a full-time firefighter with the City of Calgary for 35 years and commuted from Didsbury the whole time," he said. "While I was home I helped the community when they needed me."
Wright said during his early years with the Didsbury department they sometimes struggled to get enough volunteers to fill an engine crew.
"We didn't have as many volunteers at the time," he said. "Communication wasn't as good. The old air raid siren was how we got alerted to a fire call. In the 1980s we got some of the early pagers."
Wright said that they still use pagers to alert the firefighters.
"A lot of stuff hasn't changed," he said. "The guys are still paged out. They still get on an engine or rescue truck and do their thing. Water still goes on a fire. The engines are bigger and better and we use additives and firefighting foam. The highways are busier than they used to be. We do more motor vehicle collisions."
Wright said that the training the firefighters receive has greatly improved.
"The guys train much more then they used to," he said. "They're familiar with their equipment. The volunteers throughout the province try to follow the paid departments, but it's hard because of the cost of training and the time it takes for the volunteers to be away from the family.
"It's quite a commitment for the younger guys today. I think the community and the people who have had to call out the fire department are very appreciative of what the guys do. It's always been rewarding that way."
Wright enjoys working with the younger firefighters and seeing their energy and enthusiasm.
"It's good to see them being eager and doing their training," he said. "Sometimes they'll draw upon the older veterans for their opinions or something."
Wright was pleased with the medal ceremony, especially with having many familiar faces from Didsbury on hand including Mayor Rick Mousseau, fire Chief Craig Martin and deputies Danny Miller and Curtis Mousseau.
