Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / PML / Chilliwack Fire Chief Ian Josephson (right) hands a certificate of completion and official fire department license plate to Tim Lamb (left) during Wednesday night's Recruit Training Program graduation at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack Fire Department recruits grad

Chilliwack Fire Dept. paid on-call firefighters graduate, get assigned Monday

Apr 1, 2023 | 9:48 AM

CHILLIWACK — Twenty graduates of the Chilliwack Fire Department’s Recruit Training Program filed into the Chilliwack Cultural Centre Wednesday night (Mar. 29) for a final opportunity to jointly celebrate their completion of a rigorous six-month program that enables them to become fully assigned paid on-call firefighters.

Several speakers, including Mayor Ken Popove, Fire Chief Ian Josephson, and trainer Jon Van Huigenbos, lauded the graduates for their commitment and perseverance.

“I want to thank the families [of these graduates] for their sacrifice,” Mayor Popove said. “I know these gentlemen have put in 300-plus hours to get to where they’re at. They already work full-time. They take time to want to be paid on-call firefighters and keep our city safe. On behalf of myself and the rest of council, we fully support the Chilliwack Fire Department. We budget and purchase the best equipment that money can buy in a way that, if my house is on fire, I want the best-trained team and the best equipment. We’ll always support you, Chief. Thank you for your leadership. Congratulations, gentlemen, on a job well done.”

Most of the graduates will be assigned to various fire halls in Chilliwack starting Monday, April 3. A few have been picked up by fire departments in Nanaimo and Surrey, while another recruit graduate will be en route to the RCMP Depot in Regina at some point.

“In 2022, our teams responded to over 4,500 calls for service,” Fire Chief Josephson said. “Every Chilliwack firefighter works hard to role model safety, respect, teamwork and customer service. They are the frontline ambassadors. We are always very proud to serve our community.”

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Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / PML / Zane Elliott (left) and Terrence Brown were two of the 20 Recruit Training Program members who persevered for six rigorous months in order to become paid on-call firefighters. Zane will be assigned to Fire Hall No. 1, while Brown will be assigned to Hall No. 4 on South Sumas Road in Sardis.

After 300-plus hours in the recruit program, including Wednesday evening training, Saturday sessions, additional days and online courses, the firefighters participated in a two-day live burn exercise on Friday and Saturday, March 25-26, before officially graduating Wednesday night, Mar. 29.

“Why do we sign up [as firefighters] instead of hanging out with families?” trainer Van Huigenbos asked during his speech Wednesday. “Why do we run out of family dinners, and why do we run into fires when others are running out? We want to be there for you during your darkest hour, because we want to help you when no one is able to. Why are we wired like this? For people we don’t even know, putting ourselves in grave danger knowing we could get injured, it’s because we are born for this.”

The 20 graduates are Jacob Brock, Terrence Brown, Ethan Claibourne-Collins, Eric DurFlinger, Aaron Edward, Zane Elliott, Teryn Hogan, Jason Hogg, Jack Jeffery, Michael Kind, Brandon Kooyman, Stewart Blackburn, Ryan Collum, Marc de Montigny, Tim Kulba, Tim Lamb, Jordan Loewen, Jeremy Meyer, Warren Thompson, and Josh Vuong.