A Hometown HERO Sebastian Sevallo saves and enriches lives

WORDS JOE LEARY

PHOTOGRAPHY ALFONSO ARNOLD

Being a frontline first responder, Sebastian Sevallo knows all too well how COVID-19 has affected residents of the Lower Mainland.

And despite all the gripping fear and anxiety that the pandemic has created, the 7 pm nightly outpouring of gratitude for emergency personnel is truly inspiring to Sebastian and his fellow workers.

“It’s heartwarming to have the community come together and show support to those on the front lines of this pandemic,” he says, adding, “The hospital workers and frontline staff are the true heroes and we take great pride in joining the public for the 7 pm cheer when we do our laps around St. Paul’s and VGH to show our support. It keeps people going.”

In addition to being a first responder, Sebastian is a spokesperson for the Hometown Heroes Lottery, which supports the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.

The 2016 Vancouver Firefighter’s Calendar poster boy for the month of February, Sebastian is also a co-host of the HGTV home renovation series Worst to First .

He says emergency calls have definitely been on the rise since the coronavirus outbreak. However, safety measures have been put in place to limit the exposure of fire crews to potential COVID-19 patients.

“The sequencing has changed and now the fire department is only going to critical calls like cardiac arrests, overdoses, fires, etc. But we were getting a lot of 911 enquiries from people experiencing flu-like symptoms.”

And Sebastian has attended full-on cases of COVID-19.

“We’ve dealt with a few confirmed cases of the virus,” he says, “and we have to take the necessary precautions. For any of these calls we’re in full PPE (personal protective equipment), mask, gloves and glasses. And if it’s a confirmed case of COVID-19, we’re wearing a full body suit and trying to limit the exposure to the crews. So in some cases, we send just one or two firefighters in. “

Born in North York, Ontario, and a Vancouver firefighter since 2014, Sebastian currently works of out of East Vancouver’s Firehall 14. He was first attracted to his calling as a kid.

I never forgot that moment or the camaraderie they shared. They were like a big family that help people and drive big fancy trucks. I was hooked.

“It was the shiny trucks that I used to chase as I was growing up in Coquitlam,” he recalls. “I went to high school right beside Coquitlam’s Number One Fire Hall and…one day I was driving to school and I saw a fire hose nozzle that had been left behind by the firefighters. I picked it up and returned it to them; but not before demanding they let me try it. It was amazing!”

He adds: “I never forgot that moment or the camaraderie they shared. They were like a big family that help people and drive big fancy trucks. I was hooked.”

If tackling the role of emergency first responder wasn’t enough to fill his days, Sebastian also appears on the home renovation series Worst to First, co-hosting alongside his brother-in-law Mickey Fabbiano.

The show finds the duo challenged with transforming the worst houses on the block into magazine-ready dream homes.

“I grew up in construction as a carpenter and was in the application process for Vancouver Fire when we got the phone call that our show was green-lit,” says Sebastian. “It was surreal and now the show airs in over 70 countries. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work.”

So far, Sebastian and Mickey have produced two seasons—20 episodes and 20 homes. Each home has, on average, a $150,000 renovation.

“The greatest part,” says Sebastian, “is that we’ve been able to change the lives of 20 different families and give them the dream homes they’ve always wanted. It’s an awesome experience to be able to do construction on TV and be a firefighter at the same time.”

It certainly makes for a full plate which begs the question: does he have any free time?

“Between seasons I do,” he admits. “But when we’re shooting I don’t; luckily I have a very understanding girlfriend! I work four days as a firefighter and four days filming.”

Saving lives and enriching the lives of others—it’s all in a day’s work for Sebatian Sevallo.