Four Jasper firefighters were honoured June 3, with medals for their decades of service to the province and country.
At the Jasper Fire Brigade’s senior’s dinner Tuesday evening, Ron Stanko and Scott Sherlow both received the Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal, which is awarded by the federal government to firefighters who have served for 20 years.
Their colleagues, Ross Derksen and Gord Hutton, were awarded the Alberta Emergency Services Medal, which the provincial government gives to emergency services personnel who have served for 12 years.
The awards both recognize the individuals’ years of contributions to the community. But ask any of the winners, and they will tell they’re not in it for the accolades.
“We don’t do it for the recognition, so when it comes around we’re kind of surprised,” said Hutton, a few days before receiving the award. In a separate interview, Stanko echoed that sentiment.
“For me it’s never been about the awards, or whatever else. It’s about getting the opportunity to help someone else in need—that‘s critical,” he said.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate the awards—they absolutely do—but even a quick second taken to revel in the honours quickly passes. Just as the winners insist they don’t do it for the awards, they also won’t accept praise without passing most of it along to their brothers and sisters in yellow.
“It’s good to be recognized, but I also have to give credit to the big family that is the fire service,” Sherlow said. “An awful lot of volunteers don’t see this length of service because they either burn out or they can’t stand the politics… this award, I would have to say, is a shared award with everybody that I’ve been serving with for the last 20 years.
“It’s not just me that’s getting up at 3 o’clock in the morning, there’s a whole bunch of other people that get woken up at the same time.”
“We also have a pretty solid brigade, with a lot of support, so I think that also contributes to the longevity of the members,” Hutton said. “The camaraderie and the support that’s there within the organization is a notable aspect in the brigade.
“We do deal with unpleasant situations a lot of the time, but the support you get through the brigade takes you through that and makes you want to keep going.”
Along with the unbreakable bond that comes from risking their lives together, Stanko said part of what makes him stick with the job is the opportunity to help people when they are at their most vulnerable. That doesn’t always mean battling blazes in a family’s home, he explains, even something as small as offering comfort to a car crash victim can be incredibly rewarding.
“When you see you can make a difference in families lives just by offering a little help, a little kindness, a little courtesy and a little assistance it goes a long way. And when they say thanks that’s even the bigger award that I get,” he said.
Trevor Nichols
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