The face of the Standard Fire Department has changed

Times Contributor 

 

One of the great things in a small town is having a fire department be part of the community. The thoughts of safety and security for emergency situations whether it be a fire or emergency response teams arriving before Ambulance service is a load off of people’s minds. Standard is no different in having a fantastic team of men and women who are a part of the Fire services whether they are firefighters or EFRT (Emergency First Response Team).

After 12 years of service as Standard’s Fire Chief, Andy Schulthess stepped down and retired earlier in the summer. The Fire Department and EFRT team gathered at their annual BBQ to honor Schulthess for his years of dedication and commitment to the safety of the residents and communities in the surrounding areas. 

Schulthess is a great community man who had no problem incorporating and making the Department known in various ways throughout the community; re-enactments and drills at Standard School, his “help” at Christmas fulfilling duties of being Santa’s helper visit the children in the area with the department, and safety and awareness nights giving out fire detectors and battery replacements. One memorable moment was teaching the Playschool children to keep safe, how to exit buildings and not to be afraid of the firefighters because they are there to help. To this day, when kids who are now in Grade 3 hear the alarm, they know to stop, drop and roll and exit on their hands and knees if fire is close.

The BBQ was held in the backyard of the new Fire Chief’s Phil Faubion, who is no stranger to the cause either. Faubion joined the department “Sport’s Day 1974” he recalls, making this his 38th year as a volunteer. He became Chief in July 2012. As the department gave thanks for Schulthess they presented him with a picture of one of the fire trucks sketched by local artist Twila McKinnon, whose husband Malcolm is a vibrant part of the Department as well. Good luck and best wishes were given to him as he pursues other dreams in his retirement. Schulthess, however, will remain on the reserve list.

Volunteering is a great job as long as you have enough people to help, as is the case in many organizations. The Standard Fire Department consists of 16 firemen and 5 EFRT women. Glenda Gauthier and Debbie Gates are both members of the EFRT team and say they are always looking for more volunteers. The only requirement before joining is having an up to date CPR and First Aid Training which will be updated on a yearly basis. “Our goal is to have enough members to rotate on a regular basis so that the commitment isn’t too tasking”, says Gauthier. They meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the Department in conjunction with the Fire Department volunteers and have some training events throughout the year. For more information please contact Glenda Gauthier at 644-2121 or Debbie Gates at 644-3757.