Hail to the chief

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Hail to the deputy chief STORY BY STACIE GAETZ | PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

“It is my responsibility to make sure that when those trucks go out the door, the people on them are capable to do their jobs and keep the community safe”

Airdrie Fire Department (AFD) Deputy Chief of Operation Garth Rabel has lived in and loved Airdrie for almost 50 years.

Rabel graduated from George McDougall High School in 1975. His parents ran the Town and Country Centre for 20 years starting in 1977. He and his brother Dennis both followed a path into firefighting.

He did his early work in the Fort McMurray Fire Department but moved back to southern Alberta in 1980 to join the Calgary Fire Department.

When it came time for Rabel to raise his family with his wife, there was no question in his mind where he was going to do it.

“There is so much I love about this city,” he says.

“The fact that it is a clean, family focused community. We are neighbours looking to support each other, which has only grown during this difficult time with the pandemic. This is what a community is supposed to be.”

Rabel has two sons who have also chosen to raise their families in the community with one following in his father’s footsteps as a firefighter in Calgary and the other working in IT for the City of Airdrie.

Career goals During Rabel’s time at the Calgary Fire Department, he worked his way through the ranks, becoming a captain in 2007.

He says some of the work he is most proud of was done as part of the recruitment team.

“I was part of the team that put together a fine fire cadet program in Calgary that still exists today and it’s these positive influences that will be there far after I am gone that mean the most,” he says.

“When you get to be my age, you ask yourself what you want your legacy to be. You want to know that you made a positive influence on people’s lives and that you still live with the values of pride, professionalism, teamwork and respect.”

Rabel retired from the Calgary Fire Department in 2010, taking a position as district chief for the Rocky View County Fire Service. He assumed his current position with the AFD in 2012.

He says the aspect of his job that he loves the most is the feeling of camaraderie within the firefighting community.

“These are dedicated men and women who care about the community and their peers and I love and respect them,” he adds.

“It is my responsibility to make sure that when those trucks go out the door, the people on them are capable to do their jobs and keep the community safe.”

Safety first AFD consists of four chief officers, 73 professional firefighters, three fire prevention officers and three administrative staff.

Firefighters are trained in multi-disciplines of fire/rescue and medical co-responses. They respond to an average of 1,800 calls per year. Approximately 48 per cent of annual responses are medical-related.

Rabel says his teams attends a variety of emergency incidents including structure fires, motor vehicle collisions, hazardous material incidents, grass or wildland fires, and technical rescues including ice and confined space.

Each platoon, ALPHA/BRAVO/CHARLIE/DELTA, has a minimum of 13 firefighters working 24-hour shifts. They respond out of three fire stations strategically located throughout the city (#89 Chinook Winds Headquarters, #87 Veterans Boulevard and #88 King’s Heights).

According to Rabel, the fire apparatus fleet has been purposebuilt and includes three fire/rescue engines, two aerials units, one rescue vehicle, two wildland bush trucks and one large-capacity water tender.

Firefighters work diligently to consistently respond safely to incidents located throughout the city in seven minutes or less.

“We are a small team in number but every one of our firefighters is competent in all facets,” says Rabel.

“I am very confident in saying that no matter who responds to your 911 call, you are going to get the help you need from a competent team.”

Pandemic impact One aspect of his job that Rabel says has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic is the education and prevention component.

He adds that a mentor of his used to say, “There is no glory in fighting a fire that could have been prevented” and that message has stuck with him.

The department has always prided itself on its ability to be a part of the community and really help people understand the dangers of fires and importance of fire prevention, he adds.

Although all of the in-person educational events, such as those held at local firehalls for Fire Prevention Week in October, school tours and others, have been cancelled since March 2020, Rabel says his team is still getting the message out to the community.

“The pandemic has given us the opportunity to be more creative in how we move forward,” he says.

“We will never close our doors to the people of this community. We are reaching out to people online and giving virtual tours and really coming up with innovative ways to get the message out there.”

He adds that the pandemic has shown him once again that the community he loves can get through anything as long as we do it together.

“We haven’t given up on looking for opportunities to smile and be kind,” he says. life