Firefighters work hard, and the service that they provide to the community is essential. Once a year, Morden Fire & Rescue (MFR) comes together for an appreciation supper to recognize the effort of its important members.
This year, there was plenty to celebrate.
Significant milestones, big losses
Morden Fire Chief Andy Thiessen says the banquet acknowledged a few firefighters that have completed 10 years of service. It also presented a 20-year exemplary service award, a 25-year exemplary service award, and one for 35 years.
Another portion of the evening was bittersweet as the community celebrated and parted ways with two important figures in the department.
“We had the unfortunate opportunity to say goodbye to a couple of our members that retired. Paul Warkentine was 33 1/2 years, and Pete Peters was just shy of 33 years,” says Chief Thiessen. “They don't owe us anything. We owe them a ton, but that was part of the appreciation event that we had.”
For Chief Thiessen, who has been in the fire service for nearly 44 years and chief for 29 of those years, the retirements are especially significant. He has worked with the retirees for many, many years.
“Being from [the same] community, we were friends when we were teenagers, and with Pete, it actually went back to when I was just a kid, because we were neighbours,” he says. “To be involved in the fire service for that many years together, yeah, [the retirements were] tough — tough to say goodbye to that portion of it, anyway.”
Chief Thiessen says that while he will stay friends with Warkentine and Peters, the loss of expertise is still a big one. He says that Dan McCausland has also recently retired. He was presented with an award for his 25 years of service at the appreciation banquet.
“A lot of knowledge just went out the door, which is unfortunate,” says Chief Thiessen.
A community effort
MFR’s annual banquet, though it has its sad moments, is overall an important feature of building camaraderie and boosting morale for the service. Their job is not easy, and some appreciation goes a long way.
“They work hard at it, and it’s nice just to give them a public acknowledgment of their achievements,” says Chief Thiessen.
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The banquet is also an opportunity to acknowledge employers in the community.
“The main focus of it is to say thank you to the employers for allowing their staff to leave at a moment's notice and disrupt their work day and their production and whatever they're involved with,” says Captain Thiessen, adding that the evening is also a chance to connect with the local police department, for which he is also thankful.
“We work close with the police, so [we] have them there and say, ‘We appreciate [that you] stop traffic for us [so that] we're not getting driven over at a scene or at an accident,’” he says. “Those are all things that you just kind of highlight so that it means something more . . . . This is more intentional.”
MFR currently has 36 members. To address the losses, Chief Thiessen says it’s now time to begin thinking about adding new people to the team.
“We'll be having a recruiting event next spring to try to fill those spots,” he says. “It’s one of those things you keep on having to do.”
A strong bond
Chief Thiessen says that what he appreciates about being a part of his organization goes beyond the job. While the firefighting community depends on each other to do its important work effectively, they also support one another on a personal level.
It’s meaningful to Chief Thiessen.
“[It’s a] good feeling,” he says. “People go through life, [and] it’s not always just roses, so you have to be there for that, too.”
Visit Morden Fire & Rescue’s website for departmental news, education tools, and the profiles of the firefighters that keep our communities safe.
With files from Robyn Wiebe
