The Citizen, 2015-05-07, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015. PAGE 7.
Zinn clarifies goggle costs
Scrimgeour’s Mexican project yields big results
THE EDITOR,
In the April 30 article “CHIP
decision process questioned”
incorrect information was shared
with Morris Turnberry council
which we’d like to clarify.
At this point, the Coalition for
Huron Injury Prevention (CHIP) has
not made the decision to purchase
Fatal Vision’s Marijuana Simulation
Experience Event kit, however the
group is continuing to look into it.
This kit is not one pair of goggles,
but six pairs of goggles, six different
activities and along with program
guide and supporting materials
developed by experts in the field.
The cost is not $5,000 but closer to
$3,000.
Each year, CHIP makes a business
plan in their application for funding
and is accountable to carry out that
plan. Increasing awareness of the
dangers of cannabis-impaired
driving is this year’s priority for
CHIP as well as continuing to offer
services that have been available to
the community in the past including
distracted driving awareness, speed
sign use and safe driving for seniors
and pedestrian visibility initiatives.
If anyone is interested in learning
about CHIP activities, feel free to
call Laura Armstrong at 519-482-
3416.
Signed,
Sharen Zinn and the Coalition for
Huron Injury Prevention
An 18-month labour of love has
paid off in a big way for Blyth’s
Doug Scrimgeour, who conceived,
and has now delivered, a program
that has literally put clothes on the
backs and equipment in the hands of
Mexican emergency responders.
It was late last month when
Scrimgeour and his numerous
partners were able to finally deliver
equipment, uniforms and gear from
all over Canada to Mexican
firefighters and paramedics – a
gesture that was met with much
fanfare and appreciation in Mexico,
and which was covered heavily by
many Mexican media outlets.
The road to deliver that kind
gesture, however, was bumpy to say
the least.
In an interview with The Citizen,
Scrimgeour, a local Shriner, says the
process began during one of the
group’s RibFests in Mexico.
Scrimgeour, along with his wife
Diane, spends half of his time in
Mexico and during one of the meals,
devised a take-out system to help
serve more meals and raise more
money.
With many Shriners at advanced
ages, he said, several local
firefighters volunteered their time to
help make deliveries and get meals
out to hungry residents.
As a thank you, Scrimgeour, a
long-time firefighter himself, asked
the local firefighters what he could
do to help them and he couldn’t
believe what he heard next.
The fire departments in the local
Mexican neighbourhoods,
Scrimgeour said, were really having
to do without, with full departments
having just a handful of equipment
and sometimes maybe just one or
two bunker suits. Basically, there
were major shortages in every
category of equipment that needed
to be addressed.
Scrimgeour then began laying the
foundation for what would come
next in his home municipality of
North Huron, going to the Fire
Department of North Huron
(FDNH) and Huron County
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
for any surplus suits or equipment or
items that had been deemed too old
by Canadian regulations.
Scrimgeour quickly identified a
number of different partners
throughout North America,
including the Shriners, the Masonic
Lodge, the Royal Canadian Legion,
the American Legion, the Rotary
Club and the Red Cross. His first,
and main partnership, however, was
with Firefighters Without Borders,
an organization that would help him
and the program immensely in the
coming months.
Soon, donations began coming
from all over North America and,
thanks to the network Scrimgeour
set up, equipment was being moved
all over Ontario thanks to volunteers
making trips and a very generous
cargo rate from Canadian National
(CN).
In fact, Scrimgeour has a list of
pick-up locations and an open call
for anyone travelling to the
Trenton/Bayside area posted at
Radford’s Gas Bar for anyone
willing to donate their time and
travel, should they be hitting any of
those areas.
Anyone looking for more
information should call Scrimgeour
at 519-523-9343.
By April, Scrimgeour and his
partners had collected enough gear
to fully equip 16 fire halls as well as
a number of EMS departments in the
area.
“It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve
ever done in my life,” Scrimgeour
says of the project. “We literally put
this equipment on the backs of
people.”
The 16 Mexican communities that
received equipment are Chapala,
Jocotepec, Ixtlahuacan de los
Membrillos, Atotonilquillo,
Poncitlan, Jamay, La Barca,
Tototlan, Atotonilco el Alto,
Juanacatlán, Jesus Maria, Tuxcueca,
Tizapan el Alto, Mansanilla de la
Paz, Amatitan and Guadalajara.
Scrimgeour said that personal
touch was crucial for him, as he’s no
stranger to how corrupt things can be
in Mexico. If equipment was
delivered to Mexico any other way,
he said, there’s no telling whether or
not it would actually make its way to
where it’s needed most. Being
personally involved, however, he
knew the collected equipment was
getting where it needed to go, and it
also gave him a sense of gratification
like few others.
To be on the ground and meeting
face-to-face with Mexican fire-
fighters who are seeing equipment
like that for the first time filled
Scrimgeour with a sense of pride.
When the equipment was
delivered, Scrimgeour said,
firefighters kept thanking him
repeatedly.
In addition to equipment for 16
fire halls, Scrimgeour has also
overseen the strategic placement of
equipment in remote areas of
Mexico that are prone to field and
bush fires, but have no responding,
equipped fire department.
Because these areas are so remote,
he says, community members
volunteer as “firefighters” in case of
emergency, but are left to try and put
out fires by beating them with
brooms or shovels and they have no
equipment whatsoever.
By equipping these communities
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Letter to the Editor
Quite a haul
Blyth’s Doug Scrimgeour, left, is responsible for bringing hundreds of pieces of equipment
from all over North America to a handful of Mexican fire departments and emergency medical
services employees through his organization, the Lakeside Fire and Red Cross Assistance
Group. The journey began over 18 months ago and has since outfitted fire departments in 16
Mexican communities and beyond, although it was not without its challenges. (Photo courtesy of
the Lakeside Fire and Red Cross Assistance Group)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Guarding the cage
Dalton Carey, left, and Matt McNichol, both goalies on the
Ontario champion Blyth Brussels Midget AE Crusaders
team, were co-winners of this year’s Don Higgins Award,
which honours the league’s best goalie. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Continued on page 9