Two Hills Firefighter Pillar of Strength and Support

Two Hills Firefighter Pillar of Strength and Support

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Ed Horobasenko has been a main stay in the Two Hills Fire Department for well over 55 years. “Uncle Ed,” as he is affectionately known, joined the fire department in 1963. “At the time I was teaching already.”

Ed said he liked to do all kinds of things, dabbling in taxidermy and a few other things, but wanted another hobby, so he thought he’d try his hand at firefighting. Admittedly, the main reason Ed said he wanted to join the department was because, “I wanted to give back to the community.”

When he first joined the department he was appointed deputy fire chief and secretary-treasurer. At the time they were paid $2 a practice, and they had 2 practices a month. They also received $2 per hour for fighting fires. So, money was not a motivating factor, added Ed.

Back in the early days there were no training courses, so it was completely hands-on, learning by trial and error. “I watched other members to see what they were doing.”

There have also been many advancements in equipment over the years which has made a big difference for firefighters. Ed said the introduction of the jaws of life didn’t come into play until the 1980’s. The county also purchased large ticket items, with the town pitching in when they could. He remembers when they received a new fire truck with a 1,500 gallon water tank in 1983.

Every year members of the department would host a dinner and silent auction. He always headed up the silent auction. “It was a good feeling to know when you cleared over $2,000 because then we could buy stuff for the department.”

When he first joined he remembers, “We just had an old building. It just about burn’t down, but we saved it.” Ed said something caught fire in the basement, but fortunately they were able to put out in time. They were also fortunate to save one of the firefighters that had gone down into the basement. “There was a trap door so a couple of us were looking down the hold and saw him fall down.” Luckily, the firefighter was still holding onto the rope so they could hoist him back up the hole to safety. Ed said during his time with the department eight businesses and four rural homes were destroyed by fire.

In 1974 a new fire hall was built in the community. The building has been added onto over the years, and it continues to serve as the headquarters of the fire department.

What Ed said he cherishes the most about serving on the department, “Is being able to be a part of helping the community as best I could.” In 2013, Ed received a plaque from the County of Two Hills to commemorate his 50 years of service. The Two Hills Fire Department presented him with a plaque and a statue to formally recognize his longstanding service to the department and the community at large.

Ed has been married to Geraldine for 60 years. Together they have three children and four grandchildren.