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Lamont Firefighter Honoured for his Service
Lamont Firefighter Honoured for his Service
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Lamont firefighter Andrew McDonald was honoured for his years of service during the Dec. 10 council meeting.
Lamont Mayor Jody Foulds presented McDonald with his 12-year service medal alongside Lamont County Regional Fire Chief Bo Moore. “I was honoured to have council present the medal. It was nice to be recognized by the town I live in. The medal is a reminder of why I do what I do, and that is to help and serve the citizens of my community.”
The most gratifying aspect of being a firefighter, says McDonald, “Is just being able to help someone in their time of need and knowing that you made an impact on their lives.”
He noted that, “At the start we were a town department, then became regionalised to become Lamont county emergency services. Over the years we have progressed as a regional department, have our own training facility and updated equipment to stay current with modern technologies.”
There have been lots of highlights over the years, and one of the highlights McDonald recalls is: “Working with so many talented people who have a wealth of knowledge.” As well, “Moving up the ranks from Lieutenant to Captain, and now being able to train and share my knowledge with the younger firefighters.”
He also said, “My family and I have gained many friends and we now have an extended fire family who are able to support you when you need it.”
McDonald joined the fire department in May of 2012 because he wanted to become active in his community. “I just retired from Ukrainian dancing after 25 years, so I was looking to do something else closer to Lamont to stay active. Chief Helton had spoken to my wife about me joining and I signed up at the town’s community awareness night. And there began my firefighting career.”
As far as what advice he would give people who are interested in firefighting, McDonald quoted the late Bob Mitchell, who had served with the Lamont Fire Department for over 70 years, and with whom he had the pleasure of working alongside, “Join the fire department, you instantly have 25 friends.”
McDonald is also known as ‘The Painting Fireman.’ He explained, “I use painting as a way to combat any effects of PTSD. Over the 12 years on the department, I have seen a lot of things that ordinary people should never have to see. Painting is a positive way to keep my mental health in check. I also decided a year ago to share my outlet with everyone and started hosting paint nights under the name The Painting Fireman to show people how painting can make you feel good. It’s a great way for your mind to escape the day to day problems that everyone faces, not only firefighters. It has grown to about 10 sessions a month with small groups of four to five students. It has been a great success and have sold out nearly every month since I started in September 2023.”
