Gerry Vermette has served and protected with the Winnipegosis Fire Department for 31 years.
He takes immense pride in what he does. When the phone rings, Gerry will be there.
"The reason why I stay on and do it is my way of giving back to the community," said Vermette. "It's a passion that I have. It's a great experience being a leader and doing things to help people out."
25 years after first joining the department, Vermette was promoted. He was named Fire Chief six years ago and has held the role since.
"It was overwhelming at first," added Vermette. "It was great. It made me feel better. Having that stronger leadership role."
The Winnipegosis Fire Department responds to everything from wildland fires to structure fires, vehicle extrication rescues, and water rescues, and they work with Stars Air Helicopter. They're also looking to expand their services.
If you've ever thought of serving and protecting, now could be the perfect time to step up. The Fire Department is actively recruiting new members. If you decide to join, Gerry says it's a fantastic way to give back.
It's rewarding, and while it comes with its fair share of challenges, it's worth it.
"It's a role that isn't for everyone. It's a role for people who have a passion to be out there helping," said Vermette. "There are many good things about it. It's not only responding to emergencies. There are the fundraising events, different training opportunities, and different socializing things we do at the Fire Department for ourselves."
All recruits will be trained to receive Level One certification through the Office of the Fire Commissioner. That's about a 200 hour process. Training from there is ongoing.
The Department has responded to 24 calls this year. Last year, they responded to 42. They currently have 15 active members. Two of those are part of the junior firefighting program.
Vermette says he's very thankful to have a crew that is always willing to go above and beyond to serve and protect.
"We have a very good crew, excellent crew," said Vermette. "Everybody is willing to drop everything to help others. Some of my members are farmers. They're willing to drop their work to come and help someone who needs it. We have a really, really good crew."
If you're interested, Gerry invites you to Department meetings. They run every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. The meetings are at the Winnipegosis Fire Hall at 136 2nd Street. They run from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
You can also reach out to them on Facebook.
