Thirteen new volunteer firefighters were officially welcomed to the department last night.
The graduation ceremony capped a long and tough training period. Training Captain Mike Pittaway told family and friends at the ceremony, “We urged them not to quit whenever they were in a tough or uncomfortable spot, but I can say that not one of them ever considered giving up.”
Fire Chief Terry Dixon welcomed the new recruits, saying it was now their responsbility to protect their family, friends, as well as the public by promoting fire safety and ensuring they have working smoke alarms. He noted they were expected to answer emergency calls as of noon today, barely 16 hours after the ceremony.
In presenting the first ever Ted Lucas Award, given to the top recruit, Pittaway said that after considering each individual’s approach to every part of the training, including demonstrating leadership and going "above and beyond," the recipient was Louise Ward. She will join Station #1.
These are the new Thorold Volunteer Firefighters:
STATION 1
Corinne Atkinson
Heather Babineau
Jonathon Curry
Scott Hastings
Matt Tilbrook
Cody Tyrell
Louise Ward
Jeff Wilson
Jade Zeoli
STATION 2
Tyler Skubel
STATION 4
Richard Bronn
Doug Hicks
Mike Hicks
