Recruit Class Update

It appears the recruit class keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last week we welcomed aboard Kirby. She is from the Station 2 area so as you all know, members in this area are hard to come by, so we have taken her on immediately. Also Vince will now be attending calls - you may have already seen him on two or three. He has 17 years experience in fire departments as well as being employeed as a paramedic with BC Ambulance. Take a moment to introduce yourself. Almost all of the recruit class managed to attend training this past Saturday to receive extra time in their SCBA units. This will undoubtably assist them as they progress through their training and will likely be only the first of a few sessions where they can get used to having this strapped to their back. We are still looking for members to assist on Wednesday nights with the recruit training. All you need to do is show up. With such a large class, all the help we can get is much appreciated.

Things are a little crowded in the station right now with all of the new recruits trying to find a spot to hang their gear. I will be constructing additional turn out gear lockers when time permits so please be patient. Cam is almost finished with the painting of the lockers for the ladies change room. This will provide a little additional floor space in the near future.

Sad News

I am sad to report that Delaney passed away on Sunday, October 10 as a result of her illness. A total of $2950.00 was raised along with an additonal $200.00 donation from the Shirley Fire Department. This was passed on to the family on Friday. I am sure that they will put this to good use. Our sympathies to the Dunlop Family

Help for Delany

Have you seen Bob and Pat Hudson with their shiny new hair do's? Some of you may be wondering what this is about. Well it seems, Bob opened his mouth and offered to dye his hair if we could raise $500.00 during the annual firefighter banquet to help Delany. (She is the 19 year old daughter of Metchosin Fire Chief Stephanie Dunlop and she has terminal cancer.) Generous firefighters and guests quickly raised $500.00 for the cause at the dinner. It was then announced that the "Paid Staff" as well as Pat Hudson would do their hair if we hit $1000.00. Thanks to a $500.00 donation by the Firefighters Association, this amount was surpassed by three dollars. Look to see the paid guys with coloured hair coming soon. If you would like to contribute or help in the fundraising effort, a hot dog and calendar sale will take place at Western Foods on Saturday, October 9th from 11:00 to 2:00 pm. Since this was announced, we have already raised an additional $500.00. Way to go.

Sooke Seniors move into Fire Station

At the end of the year, it will appear that the Sooke Firefighters Association will double in size as the Sooke Seniors Group move into the Lounge and kitchen area. Thanks to a very generous donation on the part of the firefighters, the soon to have no home, Sooke Seniors will be allowed to use the lounge during the daytime 3 days a week. In return, the seniors group will have the rooms professionaly cleaned twice a week and allow firefighters to attend their luncheon meetings. (you can also play bingo if you want). This is expected to last for approximately 18 months as the group awaits plans for a new home in the Sooke core area.

News and information update

It appears that this years annual banquet was quite a success. Those in attendance were entertained by a musical trio playing in the lounge upon entering the building. Each lady was presented with a flower. The room was nicely decorated with flowers and gifts galore. Many thanks to Linda Bennett (and Bob) for all the work they did to get this organized. After a fabulous dinner provided by Moms Cafe, members and guests were entertained by Mr. Darrell Thompson, a relatively unkown by extremely humours foreign comic. The man has talent as he regailed the crowd with stories of a certain firefighter dropping his helmet a couple of times, followed by a story on how he was conceived in a VW. Many tears were shed as people could not help but laugh. Awards were then presented by Training Officer Barney, Mayor Evans and Chief Sorensen for all of the courses completed by the firefighters. This was followed by special awards with Darrell receiving Recruit of the Year, Elaine Kouwenberg for Safety Educator of the Year, Ben Patterson for Firefighters of the Year. As is the custom, special guest Bill Stephenson was brought up to present the annual Officer of the Year award. He was actually speechless when he was presented the honour in the form of a full Fire Chiefs Helmet complete with his name, rank and years of service on the front piece. This was followed by a bouquet presentation to Ruby Stephenson. Dessert was scrumptious, prizes were given to all firefighters and then a social evening followed where more draw prizes were made available to those in attendance. Length of Service awards were also presented for 10 years service to firefighters Bob Bennett, Glenn Harrison and Captain Shane Burket. For fifteen years service, Firefighter Tom Warran and Assistant Chief Matt Barney received special awards. Thanks to all those that attended. It was indeed a very special evening.

Try Again

As it appears by last posting disappeared and all that remains is the title, I will try again.

First off - The Fire Investigation Seminar was a huge success. This can be directly attributed to all of the time and effort put in by members of Sooke Fire Rescue Service and a few District of Sooke Staff. We have received numerous compliments on the food, our hospitality, the facilities, the use of the motel and the firefighting tactics used by the firefighters themselves (well except for one small glitch) You should all be extremely proud of your accomplishments. This certainly put Sooke Fire on the map as a very professional group. Well done to you all and thank you for your support.

Heroes in the Sky was another great day. While we didn't sell as many calendars as we hoped, we did raise quite a few $ anyway. The Chili Challenge was awesome, even if the Sooke Fire Crew got ripped off during the judging. They were definitely the best decorated booth. (their chili wasn't bad either) With the calendars that are left, we need to find a way to sell off the remainder. If anyone is interested in sitting outside the mall on a Saturday or Sunday for an hour or two, let me know and I will make arrangements. Maybe a hot dog sale too!

Getting ready for Safe Halloween. The committee has met once so far and the group has expanded. This is a good thing as now with some new faces on the panel, we can share the workload and get more ideas. It seems several haunted house themes are already brewing.

My next project is to work on the grocery bags for the annual Santa Run. We will be partnering with Otter Point, East Sooke and Shirley FDs this year. Last year we collected a ton of food, so lets hope we can do as well or better this year. We will also be setting up the squad in front of the grocery stores as we get closer to Christmas where people will be able to drop of their donations.

Fire Prevention Week is almost here. Oct 5 and 6 will be the Annual Western Communities Fire Expo at the Metchosin Fire Station. Anyone able to assist at the Sooke booth on either day would be appreciated. You can do just a morning or afternoon shift if this works. All helpers are fed a great lunch as well as receiving a t-shirt. This is an important event as every Grade 4 Student in the Sooke School District has the opportunity to learn 8 important safety messages from the experts on hand. We usually see 800 -1000 kids over the two day event.

Information Update