Past and present members of Powell River’s International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1298 were joined by City of Powell River officials recently to mark the organization's 60th anniversary locally, which coincided with the 100th anniversary of the union across North America.
According to Powell River Fire Rescue chief Terry Peters, the length of time the community has had an organized fire department is unusual for a town of its size.
City of Powell River was incorporated in 1955 and IAFF Local 1298 was founded in 1958. Peters said the community was progressive in that respect.
“Ours is local 1298 and the City of Richmond is local 1286; Powell River was on that same page,” said Peters. “We were founded sooner than some of the larger communities in the province.”
Fire services for the growing community came from the Powell River Company, he added.
“We actually came from the mill; it was growing as a big entity,” said Peters. “They wanted to have the best protective services they could.”
Peters said he believes the company achieved its goal, as the town has some of the best-trained protective services to be found anywhere in the province.
“I can honestly say we as a city have always had exceptional protective services in the community, “ said Peters. “Not only the fire department but the ambulance service, police, and coast guard.”
A unique aspect of smaller towns is the local component of its employee base, said local 1298 president Brad Collicutt. The majority of the union’s membership is made up of people who were born and raised in Powell River, he added.
“Just about everybody currently working with us is a Powell River local, whether they were born here or grew up here,” said Collicutt. “It’s a great job and an interesting career. To be able to do it where you grew up is pretty great.”
Having representatives from the city present at the union’s celebration was not lost on the organization’s membership, said Peters. It shows the strong relationship the city has with its workers, he added.
”To have our city administration there actually acknowledging a union’s milestone was just a class act,” he said.
85 per cent of North America’s population is served by a professional firefighting service and IAFF currently represents more than 300,000 members.
At the gathering on February 28, local union members were able join with members across North America to watch a live broadcast of the 100th anniversary observance from Washington, DC.
The centenary also offered firefighters an opportunity to reflect on similarities in the work they do in almost every town and city every day across the continent, according to Peters.
“In our business we show up on the worst day of some people’s lives,” said Peters. “We’re there to be professional and compassionate about every situation we come across and treat the public with the respect they deserve.”
