GLEN WALTER – South Glengarry’s assistant deputy fire chief believes the new fire station in Glen Walter will improve the quality of life for his firefighters.
“It definitely gives us more room. We can train inside now. We have facilities that if we come back contaminated from a call we can get cleaned up here before going home taking the contaminates to our homes,” Brian Poirier told Cornwall Newswatch during an open house at the fire station at 6650 Bray Street.
Poirier said the existing facility on County Road 2 was more or less a “garage,” but the new building has meeting rooms, offices and a kitchen.
It’s also in a better location, closer to the village of Glen Walter, he said.
With two drive-through bays and a third parking bay, the building is a lot easier for fire engines accessing the station.
Poirier explained the single garage door made it tricky to get two vehicles into the building where drivers had to make sure they didn’t catch mirrors or doors on the building or other trucks.
Before a ribbon cutting ceremony today, a local priest was here and performed a blessing on the new hall.
A tree planting ceremony also took place to honour the memory of firefighter Tanya Daye, who lost her battle with cancer. She had been with the South Glengarry fire service for about a year-and-a-half.
Lhandon Heagle-Francis honoured as junior firefighter
A local boy was also honoured as a junior firefighter for spotting a porch fire last month.
Lhandon Heagle-Francis was given a certificate of achievement during a ceremony at the new fire hall for spotting a fire on May 11, 2016 at a home on County Road 2.
“Lhandon was in the back seat (of his parent’s vehicle) just paying attention to things and said ‘Dad, dad, the house is on fire’…they turned around and, sure enough, there was a little bit of a fire on the front porch of the house,” Assistant Deputy Chief Poirier said.
It turned out the person at the home had put out a cigarette after washing his car. “They jumped into action and called 911 and he’s the little fellow that basically saved the house.”
“It’s a great thing to see young fellows speak up when they see this type of stuff,” he said.
Click on an image below to see more pictures from the fire hall open house.
