Fire Chief Dustin Curry
While January has been a busy start to the year for emergency crews, it has also certainly been a month of notable achievements for members of the Tumbler Ridge Fire Department. On two separate occasions, District of Tumbler Ridge Mayor and Council were able to recognize major milestones in years of service to the pursuit of public safety.
On January 6, 2020, Senior Firefighter Doug Beale was presented the Fire Service Exemplary Service Medal in recognition of his 20 years serving as a firefighter. Awarded by the Governor General of Canada, the Fire Service Exemplary Service Medal honours members of a Canadian fire service who have completed 20 years of service, ten years of which have been served in the performance of duties involving potential risks.
Doug Beale began his service with the Tumbler Ridge Fire Department on August 25, 1999. At the time of his presentation, Mr. Beale had accumulated 2960 training hours, and had provided 1340 hours in emergency response, while responding to 1,600 emergencies. He was promoted to the rank of Senior Firefighter in 2017, then Safety Officer in 2018 and was named both the 2000 and 2017 Tumbler Ridge Firefighter of the Year. During his tenure, Mr. Beale has also served in various roles within the Tumbler Ridge Firefighters Association.
On January 20, 2020, Deputy Fire Chief Diana Vandale was presented with the BC Long Service Award for her completion of 25 years of service. Awarded by the British Columbia Fire Commissioner, this award is presented to those individual who have served 25 years in the fire service, all of which must have occurred within the Province of BC. In Deputy Vandale’s case, all 25 years of her service has been with the Tumbler Ridge Fire Department exclusively. She is in fact the longest serving volunteer in the department’s history. She began her career with the Tumbler Ridge Fire Department on November 9th, 1994 and at the time of her presentation, had accumulated 3838 training hours, and had provided 1116 hours in emergency response, while responding to over 1409 emergency calls. She has served as the Deputy Fire Chief since 2008, and was named Firefighter of the Year in both 1999 and 2010. Always a passionate advocate, Deputy Vandale has been a driving force for Muscular Dystrophy both locally and provincially since beginning her career in the fire service.
In a time when volunteerism is at an all-time low, I wish to thank both of these individuals for their tireless dedication and sacrifice to making Tumbler Ridge a safer community for all of our residents and visitors alike. Devoting so much of one’s time to the protection of others is no small feat and you should be proud of these deserving accomplishments. I know I am.
