The fire department plays a crucial role in our community.
Most community parades, like in Ladysmith, are adorned with several fire trucks and their proud members.
Many of these fire departments consist of volunteer firefighters who spend numerous hours training and practising and who are very often first at the scene. As first responders, their critical interventions are crucial to a positive outcome in a serious accident.
The North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department attended a very serious motorcycle accident in 2010.
To show my appreciation to these first responders who took exceptional care of me, I attended the North Oyster Fire Hall just before Christmas.
The visit gave me an opportunity to talk to some of the firefighters who attended at the scene and show them that their efforts saved my life.
The picture above shows some of the firefighters who attended the scene — unfortunately, not all North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department firefighters who are shown or were present the day we stopped by. They are: back row from left, Brian Eagle, Florian Schulz, fire chief Jason de Jong, Ron Strazza, Ryne Paetz and Sandy David; and, front from left, Colby Sedola, Aaron Bergeron and accident victim.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department for their efforts. Their patience, caring nature and invaluable expertise were nothing less than amazing.
We were shocked to learn that first responders rarely receive thanks for their heroics, nor are they advised of the outcome of their efforts regarding accident victims.
We hope this story will encourage more accident victims to come forward and give thanks to their first responders.
After all, where would we and the communities we live in be without them?
Special thanks to the ambulance crew, paramedics and air ambulance crew for their help.
Accident victim
Ladysmith