5 minute read
Two Long Serving Mundare Firefighters Honoured
Two Long Serving Mundare Firefighters Honoured by Provincial Association
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Two long serving members of the Mundare Fire Department were officially recognized for 20 years as members of the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association, (AFCA) during its annual conference in Edmonton.
Charlie Gargus and Al Lenkewich joined the AFCA in 1999 and both have found great value in attending those annual conferences and sharing what they’ve learned with fellow department members. However, their involvement with the Mundare Fire Department began that. Charlie joined in 1985 and Al joined not long after that in 1989.
Mundare District Chief Glenda Dales is extremely proud of the outstanding contributions of Charlie and Al, commenting that, “Al is a wealth of information and is always willing to help whether it is mentoring another member or fundraising. He can be found in the kitchen cooking up a storm or at the BBQ with a flipper in his hand. Charlie is our public relations guy at emergency services fundraiser events.”
“As Chief Officers, both Deputy Chief Kelly and I are extremely proud of our members being recognized by the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association,” said Lamont County’s Regional Fire Chief, Bo Moore. “This is a well-deserved honour, the dedication to our service does not go unnoticed at the local level, and is now rightfully being recognized at the Provincial level!”
Both Al and Charlie commented on some of their history with the Mundare Fire Department, why they joined, the impact it has had and their involvement with the AFCA.
Al said, “The fire department was recruiting in 1989 and I felt it was the best way to serve my community and surrounding area.” As far as the AFCA award, he commented that, “It feels good to be recognized for my contributions to the fire service in Alberta.
I have been a member of AFCA since 2001 which has given me the opportunity to network with other departments members from around the province and attend conferences to keep updated thru the various sessions offered. We organized a golf tournament for one of the conventions as well as assisted in other convention duties.
In terms of the impact being a firefighter has had on Al, he responded by saying, “From the support and understanding of my family, I was able to spend the time to complete the different levels of training offered as well as fire investigation courses, that helped me to progress thru the various positions within our station to captain. Our station is active in the community providing support for various functions which is satisfying and helps to keep the station visible.”
Charlie said that, “Thirty-eight years ago the Mundare Fire Department, (MFD) was mainly made up of farmers and some town members that had to close their businesses in order to attend an MFR tone out. Fire Chief Dale McCarty approached me and two others that were part of the teaching staff at Mundare School, to join the department. The fact that we would be out of school at 4 pm and available to launch an initial response worked very well. I have been helping out wherever I could ever since that time.
As for why? “I have felt that my contributions were a small part of what one does; to contribute to the needs of the community we live in. Everyone has different skills and I discovered that some of mine were useful in the fire service. By working together, we all benefit.
As a volunteer on community service boards as well as municipal council, I contributed so as to help to improve my place of residence. My family, neighbours and I would all benefit as the Town of Mundare grew. The idea of an award was not needed, but it is nice to know that someone in the community noticed. Recognition and appreciation from others are always welcome and an inspiration to continue doing the job.”
As far as impacts to one’s family, Charlie replied, “When one’s grandchildren ask about the dangers of being a firefighter and if “grandma worries”, then you know that there is an impact on the family. It becomes a great time to discuss the strengths of teamwork and the training that helps to keep us safe.
The community “expects” the service provided but does not really understand that we are paged out at any point in a 24-hour day. It is during fund-raisers such as golf tournaments or pancake breakfasts that we get the big thank you from the community at large and have a chance to promote what we do.
My personal impacts are those of respect, admiration and camaraderie. I totally respect the dedication and effort invested by every firefighter that I have had the privilege of working with these past years. My admiration runs deep for the skills that my fellow FF must master. Lastly, it is an honour to belong to such a special group.”
