Last Saturday 100 Mile Fire Rescue honoured the dedication of its firefighters at their annual appreciation dinner
Fire Chief Dave Bissat said the dinner is a way to recognize all the time and effort his great team of paid-on-call volunteer firefighters put in every year. They held the dinner on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the 100 Mile House Curling Club.
“It’s important they know all the things they do don’t go unnoticed. A lot of these guys and gals continually come to call-outs, even when the general public isn’t awake,” Bissat said. “It’s important they know both myself and the District of 100 Mile House appreciate them.”
This year the department gave out two five-year pins to recognize the careers of firefighter Jessica Mobbs and Lieutenant Charles Bowett. Bissat said the department also gave out several awards whose recipients were selected by the membership themselves.
Firefighter of the Year went to Mobbs while Rookie of the Year went to James Suggitt, giving them a trophy and bragging rights. Suggitt moved to 100 Mile House three years ago and said he joined the department this October.
“I love it. It’s basically just playing with toys, right? Tools to me are like toys so you get all this cool equipment to use and learn on,” Suggitt said. “There’s always something to learn.”
He remarked that he is able to put in more hours than other members and was happy to receive the award, even if he did feel he was taking it away from others.
“It feels good to be recognized. I’m not in it for the glory but a pat on the back is always nice,” Suggitt said. “There were so many other people in the room that are equally as talented and motivated to do the same thing that I got an award for. There’s a good quality of people (at 100 Mile Fire Rescue.)”
The Top Gun Award, meanwhile, went out to Brad Bissat and Sandy Padda who responded to 187 calls, 63 training events and 10 community events last year.
“That’s a pretty high attendance for a part-time gig,” Bissat noted.
Deputy Fire Chief Cole Sparreboom took home the Officer of the Year Award which he was happy to receive. Sparreboom said he put in a lot of extra hours training before becoming a full-time firefighter in October, so it was nice to have his peers recognize that commitment.
He remarked the night is a fun time for the department to unwind and have a good time together. Sparreboom said he particularly enjoyed the chance to chat with several retired firefighters who attended the dinner to celebrate the new members. Suggitt agreed with Sparreboom, noting it was nice to meet the faces who paved the way for the department.
“It was nice to see them intermingle, get along and share stories,” Sparreboom said.
Sparreboom said he’s looking forward to another year of serving the community and training. He’s hopeful the call volume will decrease again but if it doesn’t the department is ready to handle it.
