Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-04-09, Page 22 News Record • Wednesday, April 9, 2014 Cooke retiring after 32 years of firefighting in Central Huron Chief's contribution to community immeasurable Gerard Creces Clinton News -Record It's time to say goodbye. Central Huron Fire Chief Steve Cooke has decided to retire after 32 years on the department. Cooke, who first started out in 1986, has been chief for 10 years, and deputy chief for about 10 years prior to that. It's in his blood. Cooke's father was also a firefighter. He said he first signed up as a volunteer because it sounded like an interesting thing to do and a good service for the community. Little did he know that would lead to more than three dec- ades of invaluable community service. When he started, firefighters wore hip boots, long trench coats, a light plastic helmet and a pair of work gloves. In the days before pagers, you headed to the fire hall as soon as you heard the siren, he said. Most of the training was done on the job, at a time when there were more barn fires than anything else. While he said he doesn't remember exactly what his first call was, it was likely a barn fire or a false alarm. The department was just starting to do car accident extractions and no medical calls at all. While they are still few and far between these days, the department is much better prepared to handle those calls now. Cooke's interest in the fire department grew and he said he did a lot of reading on the side, as well as signing up for courses at the fire college, which was fairly new at the time. The extra studying paid off - both for Cooke and for Central Huron. Being a firefighter comes with many challenges and personal sacrifices, and accepting the responsibility means being ready to serve at a moment's notice. "You have to know that Christmas Eve you maybe going to a call," he said. "Or at some dinner you may have to jump up in the middle or As an example, he said once while at a town function the call came out and the fire department got up to fight a lumber yard fire still in their suits. Of course, families also have to accept the role of the firefighter, which is not an easy task, wondering if their loved ones are okay after responding to a middle of the night call. And firefighters also bene- fit from the support of each other. "Over the years you see a lot of things and do a lot of things - not all pleasant by any means but we get through them," he said. "We watch each other all the time. The camaraderie is really strong. There may be a lot of chirping but deep down the support is there." There rules of engagement for a fire- fighter to risk a lot to save a life, risk a little to save savable property, and to risk noth- r -�-� � ar-r Q^ ATER 2401 aatarle Cl men. Wator Ageru yp error iirrhirierintp Oro Lama Notice to residents in the Municipality of Bluewater The Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) will commence the 2014 Spring flushing of watermains for the Municipality of Bluewater Mondays to Fridays as follows: Hensall Distribution System - April 14th to April 18th Zurich Distribution System - April 21st to April 25th Bluewater Distribution System (including Bayfield) - April 28th to May 16th You may experience discoloured water coming from your tap. If this happens, we suggest you try the following: - remove the tap aerators off your taps and flush the cold water house lines until it runs clear. - flush out your hot water tanks. This is to remove the accumulated iron that precipitates out in the tank; this iron may also decrease the efficiency of your water tank. You may experience lower than normal pressure as a result of the flushing activities. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. OCWA will continue to work on the flushing programs to ensure consumer satisfaction. Dave Kester Manager of Public Works Municipality of Bluewater 519-236-4351 Ontario Clean Water Agency 519-274-9242 or 519-274-0997 Central Huron Fire Chief Steve Cooke and his mother Bea, pose for a photo after Cooke's receiving the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. ing for non -savable life or property. However, fire- fighter safety is their primary concem. "We are prepared to go out on a limb in certain circumstances to obviously save a life," he noted. "And to a lesser extent to expose ourselves to a little more to save savable property" For advanced stage structure fires where they aren't sure if there is anyone inside, firefighters may do a rapid attack with a hose line - knocking down the fire enough to do a partial search, getting back out safely and regrouping if necessary. "If it's obviously the building is gone and there is no chance of rescue or recovery we have to look after ourselves," he said. The toughest calls tend to be multiple fatality car accidents, he said. At those times, they ask for volun- teers for the work. The hard part, Cooke said, is wait- ing until the coroner comes to give the go-ahead. Taking such difficult calls takes its toll on firefight- ers. While it may not bother someone the first or even the fifth time, Cooke said the effect is cumulative. Being able to talk about those difficult calls with fellow firefighters is indispensible for sup- port. The department has lost one firefighter over the years, Doug Cantelon, who had a heart attack attending a grass fire more than 10 years ago. A memorial for Cantelon is still at the fire hall. Every firefighter has "the big one" over the course of their careers, Cooke said. The latest for him was the Salvation Army fire in downtown Clinton in 2010, though there have been other notable blazes, including a mill fire and a hotel fire in downtown Clinton. "There was no loss of life in it;" Cooke said of the Salvation Army fire. "It was just a huge fire in a diffi- cult position:' But, there are plenty of smaller blazes as well, and everyone remembers them differently, whether how hot the fire was or how fast it went up. Central Huron firefighters also responded to the Seaforth Foodland fire last year, part of their mutual aid agreement with surrounding municipalities. As far as preparing for the job, Cooke said you can take all the training, learn all of the equipment and study safety points as much as possible, but experi- ence is the best teacher of all. While rookies are all anxious for their first call, as soon as it's done you are waiting for the second one, he said. The first thing any new firefighter needs to realize is it gets in your blood. "You're going to hate a lot of the things you have to do but you're going to love every minute you're doing it," he said. "The bottom line is these people are there to put their life on the line." When he retires at the end of this month, he won't be sitting down twiddling his thumbs. He's got a piece of property to play with and a lot of puttering, he said. "I'll miss is," he said of retiring from the depart- ment. "I'm proud of all the people that have served the Clinton Fire Department over the years and I'm proud of the fire department as it is. "They are all my heroes:" The Central Huron Fire Department may be one hero less after April 30, Cooke's retirement date, but the community is equally proud of his work, his ded- ication and his decades of leadership and commu- nity service. OFFICE HOURS The Office Hours for The Clinton News Record is as follows Mondays - 9am - 5pm Tuesdays - CLOSED Wednesdays - 9am - 5pm Thursdays - 9am - 5pm Fridays - 9am - 5pm Clinton News Record 53 Albert St., Clinton, ON PH: 519-482-3443 www.clintonnewsrecord.com