Ripley-Huron fire chief Chris Cleave is thrilled that 20 members of the fire department have completed their NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Certification training.
A graduation ceremony was held Thursday, May 3, at the Ripley Arena, with incumbent Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, Huron-Kinloss mayor Mitch Twolan, and Fire Star Service Inc. president Mark VanderFeyst assisting deputy fire chief Jeff Pollard in the presentation of certificates.
Cleave noted that of the 26-member fire department, four already had the certification, and two continue working toward it.
At the graduation ceremony, he welcomed everyone, and praised the firefighters and their families for accepting the challenges, for putting in the time and the work, and for the sacrifices they made by giving up weekends together to make this program a success.
“You are all very well-deserving of tonight’s recognition and appreciation,” he said.
“Education is the foundation upon which we build our future,” said Cleave. “I firmly believe this quote is as relevant today as it was in January of 2016, when we started this adventure, and as it will be tomorrow and throughout our fire service careers as we continue to develop ourselves as individuals, as firefighters and as professionals.”
He said this accomplishment can best be described in three words: Pride, Perseverance, and Professionalism.
“Pride in who you are to this community,” he said. “Pride in what you bring to our organization, and pride for what your accomplishment means to the overall goal of providing the best emergency response service to our citizens and visitors.
"Perseverance - for being willing to accept the challenges faced through our program; for making the required commitment to succeeding; and for following it all through until the very end.
"And Professionalism - for understanding and accepting the ever-changing requirements of the modern fire service; for giving 100 per cent of yourself to our fire service; and for taking ownership in developing and enhancing your firefighting skills.”
Besides the firefighters and their families, Cleave thanked the mayor, council and staff for their unwavering support of the NFPA Certification training programs and their commitment to providing the township fire departments with the knowledge and tools to provide the absolute best service to the community.
He thanked Ripley-Huron's fire service partners, the Lucknow Fire Department and the Kincardine Fire Department, for their support, encouragement and fellowship.
“Our program would not have been a success without their assistance over the past two years,” he said. “Thank you for covering for us, loaning us needed equipment and for the moral support.”
He also thanked Mark VanderFeyst, president of Fire Star Service Inc., and all the instructors who provided exceptional training.
Twolan congratulated all the firefighters for their hard work and dedication toward this accomplishment.
“Council is proud of your achievement,” he said. “It takes a lot of time and effort to complete this training, but we are the envy of a lot of fire departments in the province. Thanks for all you do to keep our community safe.”
Thompson echoed those sentiments. “Thank you to the families for sharing your firefighters with the community. Huron-Kinloss and the Ripley-Huron Fire Department lead by example, continuing to make service to their community a priority.”
VanderFeyst said his company played a small role in this endeavour.
“Your fire chief had the vision and the intestinal fortitude to see it through,” he said. “Your firefighters now have the basics for future training. You have an effective, efficient and operational fire department.
“Very few firefighters have this training. This is a great accomplishment, and congratulations to all of you.”
Cleave made special mention of the following four firefighters who already have the certification training: Jeff Pollard, Thomas Elliot, Samantha Cleave, and Jenna Rees.
Certificates were presented to the following:
- Assistant deputy chief Scott Martyn
- Captain Steve Fry
- Captain Dean Watson
- Captain Sean Johnson (absent)
- Lieutenant Paul MacDonald
- Greg Ackert
- Jeff Caslick
- Brent Chatham
- Jarred Colling
- Dennis Dewar
- Mike Fair
- Andrew Johnston
- Brent Kempton
- Bill Meyer
- Steve Nicholson
- Kevin Paul
- Alex Rawlings
- Jeff Richardson
- Darren Vander Hoek
Link to original article in the Kincardine Record: Twenty Ripley-Huron firefighters graduate with NFPA Certification