When I stop to think about the person that Doug Beale was, I struggle to find the words. How do to describe a person who is all things to so many people in such a variety of ways? For me, I guess it is his character that will remember him for the most. His integrity.
When Doug said he would do something, I could honestly consider it done. When he took a stance, he stood behind it. No questions. No reservations. Now make no mistake, this also made for some heated conversations over the years, but Doug would never compromise who he was to fit into a circumstance.
For me, that’s just who Doug was. But that’s not all he was. He was my friend. He was there way back when I first started on the Tumbler Ridge Fire Department. The first person to greet me as I walked in the door so long ago. He encouraged me, guided me and mentored me, and sometimes scolded me as I progressed through my career. Even when I finally out ranked him, Doug never hesitated to continue giving me advice on a variety of situations both personal and professional alike.
When I became a father, Doug was there congratulating me, over the moon that we were starting a family. When Karen and I bought our first home, Doug helped us move in. Looking back at many of the events in my own life, Doug was there in some capacity, and it saddens me to wonder if he knew how grateful I was for his friendship. I hope he did.
As a firefighter, Doug was compassionate, enthusiastic, and embodied the highest level of professionalism that all others have tried to achieve. Doug always had everyone’s best interest at the core of his being. Never shying away from making the hard choice, Doug was a fierce advocate for safety in all aspects of the firefighting profession. As was also a mentor to many in every way that a person could be. He was a confidant and someone you could talk to whenever you needed. The respect that Doug earned in is time with the Tumbler Ridge Fire Department is unmatched by anyone else. It take a special type of person to earn that much respect from fellow firefighters, and Doug did it with humility and pride in that he was shaping the future of the department for years to come.
Firefighter Doug Beale was awarded the Canadian Fire Services Exemplary Service Medial for 20 years of service in 2019. During his service to residents of Tumbler Ridge, Firefighter Beale attained 3,173 training hours, and 1,473 emergency hours while responding to 1,805 calls for service. His loss will leave significant impact in not only the fire department that he was so proud to be a part of, but the entire community that he was so proud to serve.
Firefighter Doug Beale will be greatly missed, but will never be forgotten.
Rest easy my friend.
