Fire department’s deputy chief leaves legacy for Strathmore’s youth

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

In the wake of the Strathmore Fire Department’s recent loss resulting from its former fire chief and current Deputy Chief Muir Furzer’s retirement, Strathmore was endowed with a legacy project tailored at advancing its youth; the Kids Summer Camp.
The week-long community and protective services Kids Summer Camp was the brainchild of Deputy Chief Furzer, who’d participated in the organization of similar events in various communities before joining Strathmore’s Fire Department (SFD) nine and a half years ago.
As young camp-goers said their goodbyes at the end of last week, following four fun-filled days of learning about fire, water and bicycle safety and skills used in emergency services, Furzer also bid adieu to a life-long fire-fighting career.
“This could be a legacy if it’s able to carry on in the future, but it’s a good hurrah to say this is my last day and we had a party all week long,” he said.
“Basically fire departments have been doing this for years. In my experience we’ve always had a summer camp and the time was right (for Strathmore) and the program came together. It’s another summer exercise but it provides something for the kids in the summer and also promotes the Town of Strathmore.”
Furzer discussed the idea with SFD Fire Chief Trent West only a month ago, and while the initial reaction was skeptical, the department rallied around the program turning it into a successful week for 33 camp participants – a greater turnout than the 25 spots originally offered.
With the help of eight to 10 volunteer firefighters, bylaw officers, staff at the Strathmore Aquatic Centre, town councillors, and sponsorships from three local businesses and four residents, Strathmore offered the Kids Summer Camp for the very first time from July 10-13.
All of last week, kids ranging from eight to 12 years old – although the program was available for ages up to 14 – learned about first aid, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, tying knots, practiced putting out fires and learned about bike safety.
The camp also included visiting the Strathmore Aquatic Centre where participants learned about personal water safety and practiced water rescue using the fire department’s Zodiac boat – a widely used inflatable boat used by emergency services – while also enjoying a trip around Strathmore Lakes on the rescue boat.
To finish off the week, parents and their kids were greeted with a family barbecue and awards ceremony, before embarking on an inflatable obstacle course and climbing a 25-foot climbing wall to put recently acquired knot-tying skills and rope care into practice.
Local resident Jenny Laycock’s nine-year-old son Jarod took part in the summer camp. After seeing his excitement and commitment to the program and acknowledging the affordability, Laycock was confident her son will attend the camp again should it be offered next year.
“He loves all things emergency services, and it was something for him to do that was close,” said Laycock.
“They learn lots of things that are really important to know; the different safety for bike, water, and fires. It’s with people that you should be able to trust and Strathmore should do more for the kids. There is not much else.”
While Strathmore’s Fire Department visits schools throughout the year to teach the youth a crash course in safety awareness, the summer camp provides a platform for a targeted audience eager to learn with an opportunity for more in-depth training. Many of the participants in last week’s camp already voiced their intentions of joining the department in the future.
“It gives the firefighters an opportunity to share their knowledge, it gives us the opportunity to feel like we’re part of the community, and we have a focused audience who wants to be here who wants to hear the safety message and we attach our safety messages to the activities the kids wants to do; it’s been an absolute labour love,” said Fire Chief West.
“When I came here and reviewed the programs that Fire Chief Furzer had put together and initiated in the community, they were really solid and very progressive and sometimes those types of initiatives aren’t widely accepted but they were all grounded in his heart and public safety.
“I think the community was very fortunate to have had him for the years that they had him and I wish him the very best in his future endeavours. I will always enjoy the time that him and I had together and I will miss him here. Hopefully he does more than just stay in touch and hopefully we remain good friends for the rest of our lives.”
As the celebrations drew to a close on Friday, and Furzer bid adieu to the department, he was adamant about one thing; he may no longer be actively involved, but he still lives in town and will continue to share his experiences and knowledge for years to come.