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Halfmoon Bay: Being a volunteer firefighter: what does it take?

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week. We enjoyed some fairly warm days with the temperatures being ‘more normal’ ranging from 23 to 27 Celsius. Remember to wear a hat and use sun block when spending time outside.
HMB fire dept

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week. We enjoyed some fairly warm days with the temperatures being ‘more normal’ ranging from 23 to 27 Celsius. Remember to wear a hat and use sun block when spending time outside. Your skin and health will thank you for it.

Sending a shout out to my fellow community columnists, Gayle - Elphinstone Chronicles, Kelly - Gumboot Nation, and Dilys - Harbour/Egmont Highlights. Our communities along the Coast are so diverse with much going on and stories to share. As I am new to being a community columnist, I hope to capture happenings in Halfmoon Bay, and although these writers may not know it, I look to them for inspiration and guidance while reading their articles every week. Though I have not met any of them, I understand their sense of humour, connection to the community and the abundance of activities even during the pandemic, our love of nature and, of course, how awesome it is to live in this beautiful part of the world. Thank you Gayle, Kelly and Dilys for sharing your community events and helping me along the way. Virtual hugs to you!

What does it take to be a volunteer firefighter? Good question. It takes an incredibly driven and outgoing person with tons of compassion, selflessness, drive and overwhelming desire to help. One such amazing person is Patrick Hobbs. He recently shared with me some of his history with the Halfmoon Bay Volunteer Fire Department. Patrick began his volunteer firefighter career almost 30 years ago here in Halfmoon Bay. Although training and certification is ongoing, the initial training is six to 12 months before being tested and accepted. Patrick has seen the fire hall go through some changes over the years, the largest being the expansion of the main hall from two to five trucks by adding three bays, as well as the creation of the satellite hall in Welcome Woods. Both are very busy responding to incidents, not only in the Halfmoon Bay area but up and down the Coast, as well as into Sechelt and Pender Harbour for mutual aid.

Patrick, along with the fire chief and 27 active members, helps those in need during the worst times in their lives. From dealing with a house fire, medical aid or motor vehicle accidents, these unsung heroes have been there and have saved lives. I asked Patrick to share one of his most memorable callouts and his response was, “I have attended hundreds of memorable callouts, all unique in their own way. One incident that stands out though is the fire in Secret Cove. We helped contain a possible wild fire that could have destroyed many homes, property, marina, gas dock and most importantly, lives. We all were very grateful to get that one under control.” He also shared that when the Auto-launch helicopter program was added to their resources, it has helped save many lives. During the ‘golden hour’ when helping a trauma victim, getting the patient to the hospital quickly has been amazing. 

Patrick is very proud of the close-knit volunteer team; they are a family. Thank you to these incredible people who risk their lives to help others and for sacrificing their time just to be ready should there be an emergency. Hats off to these volunteers and to all first responders!

To have your say at the Bay, please contact me before 5 p.m. on Mondays. cindy.kisser@telus.net. Be kind, be gentle, be safe.