Meet Bruce Armstrong, Russell’s fire chief 130' * -& r 10353" * 5
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
Chief Bruce Armstrong remembers well the day he was launched on his career as a volunteer firefighter for the Village of Russell. It was the day after Canada Day more than two decades ago. “I ran into Roger Pharand, the fire chief then, that day,” Armstrong said, recalling the time.”Asked him if he was hiring.” At the time, Armstrong was already em- ployed full-time with the federal govern- ment. Back then, he was with the Ministry of Agriculture. Today, he is still a federal employee, with PublicWorks Canada as part of its ceremonies and protocol department, dealing with dignitaries and helping make sure visits involving foreign representative go smooth as water. So, why become a firefighter? Seemed like a good idea then, and still does now. «I tried it out. Pretty soon it became a big part of my life. Never regretted it.» Back when Armstrong signed on as a rookie fireman, the village fire hall was lo- cated in the village centre, near the corner of Church Street and Concession Street. The old fire hall now houses the Keith Boyd Museum. “At the time, I lived three houses down from the old fire hall,” Armstrong said. “I was able to run to the hall.” He chuckled, recalling that he did do a lot of running dur- ing his first days as a fireman. The original fire hall back then housed a pumper truck, a tanker, and a small res- cue van within its 1700-square-foot space. The department’s First Response vehicle stayed parked outside because there wasn’t room for it inside. Now, every vehicle the department owns sits secure inside the 8500-square-foot confines of the present fire hall on Church Street adjacent to the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School. Everyone in the department, then and now, including himself, is a volunteer fire-
Bruce Armstrong sometimes misses the days when he was a rookie fireman for the Russell village fire department and got into some real hands-on fire fighting.
firefighters. “All the shows are a little more soap opera,” he said, grinning, but added that they are pretty accurate about the technical side of the job, including the risks, though he noted the scriptwriters could make a
livestock, cutting and clearing away trees and tree limbs heavy with coats of ice, rescu- ing people overcome during the night with carbonmonoxide vapour building up from their own indoor emergency generators. “Ice Storm ’98 really brought the community together. But it was three weeks with not a lot of sleep.” What stands out in Armstrong’s mind most about his years as a firefighter is the
closeness that develops between themem- bers of a station over time. “You grew as a family,” he said. “In the fire department, you learn to help each other out.” When he’s not in his Ottawa office, at the fire hall, or out on a call, Armstrong spends as much time as he can with his family. “I have picked up a new hobby,” he said, smiling. “Sevenmonths ago, I got my granddaughter, so I always make time for her.”
fighter. Everyone has a day job of some sort, but everyone is ready to drop whatever he is doing at the time to rush to the hall when the fire alarm calls. Nowadays, Armstrong’s firefighting work is administrative for themost part, except when he is on the scene
point of keeping the actors in their full gear at all times during a call. “You’re not doing much without your breathing appa- ratus, especially when working around smoke.” In early days when there was more basic wood construction for houses, the risk from smoke inhalationwas just the temporary choking when it got too thick.
So, why become a firefighter? Seemed like a good idea then, and still does now. I tried it out. Pretty soon it became a big part of my life. Never regretted it.
Ice safety reminder February’s subzero cold has kept the ice on the rivers and lakes good and thick. But police still remind anglers, snowmobilers and anyone else venturing out onto local ponds and streams to keep ice safety in mind. Check weather first and do not go out on warm or stormy days when the ice may be weaker or poor visibility could result in getting lost. Also, extreme cold could create pres- sure cracks that may be hazardous for vehicle travel. Do not go out on the ice during extreme cold conditions and wind-chill factor. Avoid alcohol when riding a snowmobile or ATV. Keep to familiar or known pathways. Always use the buddy system when out on the ice in case of trouble.
of a fire, supervising his people and liaising with other emergency personnel. But once a smoke-eater, always a smoke-eater. “I do miss those (rookie) days,” he said. “The ex- citement of a call, not knowing what you were going into.” Training for the job of fighting fires and saving lives hasn’t changedmuch since Arm- strong’s first year with the department. Back then, he and three other rookies spent two days a week for twomonths learning all the basics, from ladder-climbing to using self- contained breathing apparatus (SBA), from rolling out and connecting hoses on-site to disconnecting the hoses, emptying all the water out, and then rolling themup to store away after a call. “It’s no different then than it is now,” he said. “Just more hours andmore in-depth practice.” He smiles when asked how accuratemov- ies like Backdraft or T.V. shows like Chicago Fire are in depicting the life and times of
Now though, with all the plastic and other materials used in home construction, smoke, whether it’s thick or thin, can prove poi- sonous fromburning chemicals, which can linger long after the flames are out. “The biggest thing in a fire call is not the fire itself, but when you’re doing (site) over- haul,” said Armstrong, “with all the gases in the air. My guys are all very safety-minded. It’s all about going home safe.” He also chuckled when asked about «fire- man stereotypes», including rescuing cats from trees, which he has done a time or two. “That’s community service,» he said. «People may laugh, but it (community service) goes a long way.” Certain memories stand out clear and sharp even years after. Like the Ice Storm of ’98. «I was captain then. That was a big education thing for all of us in emergency services. «Armstrong and other fire fighters were on-call 24-7, hauling water to farms for
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