It's 3 a.m. and you are sound asleep in your bed when suddenly you are startled out of your slumber by the sound of explosions. Is it a dream or is it real? You run out of your house to see what is going on and are greeted by flames as your house is on fire. You scramble back inside to alert your family members, get them out of the home and call for help.
This is the scenario that Dave Fonger and his family faced early Monday morning when their lives were turned upside down. It's a scenario that has played out countless times here on the Coast and in communities all over the world. A house fire can be a devastating event for all involved. But this incident had a happy ending. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Sechelt fire department, the Fonger's beloved family dog Scooter, who was feared lost in the fire, was rescued by firefighters.
Fonger and his family are ever so grateful for the firefighters' efforts. They put their lives on the line to go back into the house and rescue the dog.
This type of heroic effort reminds us of how amazing our rescue volunteers are here on the Sunshine Coast.
We sometimes forget that our Coast fire departments are almost completely volunteer-based. Aside from a few senior members at some of the departments who are in full-time positions, the other members all have other full-time jobs. But when their pagers go off, they drop everything and respond, day or night, at any hour. They have no idea when that pager goes off what type of situation they will be attending. Is it a house fire? Is it an accident? Is the situation serious? Has someone lost his or her life? But no matter what the situation, these brave men and women jump into action.
And it's not just our firefighters who deserve praise. Coast Guard auxiliaries in Gibsons, Halfmoon Bay and Pender Harbour risk their lives every time they are called out to an incident on our waters. And because of these volunteers, our waters are safer for all to enjoy.
Then there are the volunteer members of search and rescue who are called upon when someone gets lost or injured in our forests, trails or other recreation areas.
All these volunteers are members of our community. They live here, work here and raise their families here. They are an integral and vital part of our community. They are a special bunch and deserve to be thanked for all they do.
