Submitted by: Tom Berggren

I am a fire chief 35 years paid, my story is about my daughter Rachael who at age 23 has already rose to the rank of dispatch supervisor, trainer, is considered the best at her job by all. She has earned a firefighter1 and 2 state certification, EMT-basic and about to complete her associate degree in fire technology. She has dedicated her brief career of 3 years to become a role model to other young people especially females. She has taken a lot of flack from people who said she couldn’t achieve the remarkable levels of excellence in the fire service she has. I think her dedication to her job as a dispatcher and as a volunteer firefighter, should be recognized. She has achieved all this on her own without any help from me as she works in another parish on the other side of the lake. She is definetely an inspiration to all young people as to what you can achieve if you work hard enough.

Submitted by: Lee-Anne Newton

My story is about, Patrick Kline. He is a Captain with the Halifax Regional Fire Department and also a critical care Paramedic with the Capital District Health and a former Life Flight Paramedic.

Not only is he a first responder in his professional life but he is a first responder in his personal life. I have witnessed him on a airplane responding to a sick passenger, and watched his professionalism and calming nature to assist the patient and also at the same time calm and reassure the family.

Just last night he was about to play hockey when he responded to a man in a cardiac arrest on the bench. Today there is a 41 year old man alive due to the quick action of a born first responder.

Submitted by: Kassy and Tamara

Our dad has been an OPP officer since 1998. He has been a dedicated officer and is quite proud to serve his community. As children of a police officer we can share with you many stories of late nights, dad not being there for our events, dad missing our first goal in hockey, dad missing our dance recital, dad not being able to join us and participate in family functions, dad working around the clock. We have witnessed my dad, save a life while off, help stranded motorists on the highway, peace keeping while we are camping, stopping to ask if people were okay while they were parked on the side of the highway ALL WHILE OFF DUTY. I can’t begin to tell you what he does on duty. ALL THE ABOVE WAS BECAUSE HE IS DEDICATED OFFICER TO PROTECT YOU, THE PUBLIC!

However we can share with you that the public needs to be more aware that dad misses out on alot at home to protect them.

So many times they go unrecognized and are never thanked for the jobs they do on a daily basis whether on or off duty. The public complain more about what they don’t do or about the ticket the received or why this was done, rather than thinking about all the over and beyond work they do on a 24/7 basis. It is a thankless career that more people should recognize and once in a while thank them for caring so much for their community.

We submit this because we are very proud of our Dad, all the work he does for all of you and at the same time ensures that his family is well taken care of.

Submitted by: Deanna Field

Dec. 18th, 2010 in Lower Onslow, NS we were having our annual Christmas baking day when the pagers in the house started going off. 911 call, my dad is the assistance chief of the Lower Onslow Fire Brigade and pride’s himself on being first to the hall for every call therefore he was off. My brother in law a newer member was off in a hurry as well. This was a medical call. A man who was shingling his roof on this icy winter’s day had fallen off and they called 911 to get him to the hospital. The fire brigade medical team swang into action, got him collared and boarded with the help of the paramedics and he was off to the hospital with sirens. Now, most would think that the “hero’s” job’s were done by not my dad. He saw an unfinished roof 7 days before xmas, with a guy that likely had a bummed up leg and would be unable to finish it. So, when I called an hour or two later to find out if he was coming home to try any of our baking he says, “Yup, just finished shingling this guys roof and I’ll be home soon!” Such a nice story that my dad would never tell and such a coincidence that Sons of Maxwell played last night at the Marigold Centre in Truro for me to enjoy and hear about this website!

Submitted by: George Snow

“Regional Dispatch to Zone 4, we have a report of a plane crash just off the runway at the Halifax International Airport. There are multiple fires burning. The aircraft is a 747, time out 4:01 (AM)

Those were the first words most Firefighters heard on the morning of October 14, 2004 as pagers confirmed an aircraft had crashed and was on fire.
First arriving personnel reported heavy fire as the aircraft had just been refueled with a total of 200,000 liters of jet fuel.
The massive 747-200 cargo plane barely cleared the fence surrounding the airport before crashing, and exploding, killing 7 crew members on board.
As the sun came up, and the smoke cleared, the devastation was evident in the stark light of day. Charred wreckage and razor sharp pieces of aircraft parts in the huge debris field.
Over 80 Firefighters and 20 pieces of apparatus responded to the call. Among them were two brothers on their first major incident, Dave and Don Carroll……Welcome to the Fire Service