HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-08-09, Page 6News
Paul Hildebrand can't imagine
being anything but a firefighter
He's Seaforth's only life member of Firefighters' Association of Ontario
By Scott Higondoeff
Expositor Editor -
Pau I Hildebrand can't
imagine not •being a
volunteer firefighter.
Now a life member of the
Firefighters' Association of
Ontat•io, Hildebrand wouldn't
give up being a'mernber of
the Seaforth Fire Department
for -anything.
"I'd rather be at the end of
a 21/2 -inch hose than a golf
club. I love knocking down a
fire," he said.
He wanted to join when he
was 19 years old., .
"I chased the fire trucks for
about 11 years before I
finally got on,". he said,
joining as •an auxiliary
member' in September of
1985 before becoming a
- permanent member about
five years later. _
Hildebrand joined the
Firefighters' Association of
Ontario in 1994 and last year;
met all the requirements to
become a life member. A
He was given the title and
a certificate last year at the
convention in Paris. .
"It's a great honour. That
was quite a tearful day
because that meant a lot to
me" said Hildebrand, one of
the 25 members of the fire
department that helped
organize this year's FFAO
convention in Seaforth.
To become a life member
of the organization that helps
provide. resources and
training t0 `volunteer fire
departments; Hildebrand had
to attend most of the
quarterly meetings - the
. association holds across the
province during a -three-year
period_ and had to be present.
at the numerous roll calls
held • at each annual
convention to ensure -the
active FFAO members are
taking part .in the meetings
and programs offered at the
;convention. _
Hildebrand, currently the
only life member in the local
department, learned at the
1997 convention that the
2000.program had not been
booked by a department. He
.was glad to see that all the
members of the Seaforth Fire
Department were behind
putting -.the convention.
together for this. past -
weekend.
It gave the department .a
Stephanie Dale photo
Firefighters competed in ci varitey. of games Saturday and
Sunday that tested their skills and had lotsof fun.
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chance to take centre stage at
the provincial level and was a
source of great excitement
for Hildebrand, -whose love
for firefighting has become a
passion for him. -
"I like saving property and
lives," he said, despite the
sometimes dangerous
conditions the volunteers
work within.
"it's something I can pay
back to the community," he
said.
But being a firefighter can
come with a price. Not only
• are the volunteers on call 24 -
hours a day,. but they work in
a community that is small.
enough that often, they'know
the people involved in the
emergency call.
"The casualties and
fatalities are hard," he said.
"Especially when its people
.you know, that really hits me
hard.'.
The two that. hurt him the
most were children: one who
wasn't four years, old before
he drowned in 1992 andone
a 16 -year-old neighbour of
Hildebran who was killed in
a car accident.
".Those two hit me the
hardest in the 20 years I have
been on.''• he said.
But be "said it's part of the
job and just something the
volunteers have to deal.with
when theydecide to become
• firefighters;
"It's called 'life.' There's
good times and bad," he said.
But he,said there are still
enough rewards • and
satisfying„moments to help
balance theharder times.
"The greatest thing I've
done in. my life is
tirefighting.' he said:
Despite the'severity of the
situation and the tiring hours'
r
they put in, Hildebrand
rsaid.20eme,m1996.' bers well- battling a
fire on Main Street on June
'That was the big one.' he
The fire was contained in
the buildings south of Box
Furniture and north of Bee's
Fashions but two stores and
five apartments were lost that
day. •
"1 was in the •PUC bucket
truck from7 a.m. to 2 p.m. 1
never got out once for seven
hours,” said Hildebrand who
was positioned in the truck to
help fight the fire from
above. . ,
He also remembers a major
barn fire that was tough to
battle in McKillop Township
when Richard Downey's Karn
burned in August of 1983.
"I was 19 hours at that
call," he said because the fire
had restartedfour times
during the following two
days.
He also remembers well
the past members of the
department who have died
since he was a member.
He fondly remembers
serving with Jim Parkinson:
Bill Pender, Dan Coleman.
Harry Hak, Jack Bedard.and
Bill Eisler.
Hildebrand enjoys the job
so well that he often takes on
the responsibility of taking
the trucks out most weekends
on a run .to .Dublin and back
to make sure all the
equipment is operating
properly for when that
emergency call comes in..
"It's just something I really
enjoy doing. Hopefully I get
a few more years at it." he
said.. -
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