The president of the Fire Fighters Association of Ontario (FFAO) says were it not for the generosity of two Wellington County businesses, a crucial training session here last week may not have been possible.
“Firefighters are always seen as the heroes, but these folks are just as deserving of the hero label because they helped make it happen,” John Scheeringa told the Advertiser on Aug. 2.
“Without them this wouldn’t have been affordable for the firefighters – and it may not have happened at all.”
Scheeringa said FFAO officials are extremely grateful for the help of Brenmar Transit in Harriston, which donated a school bus, and also of Buehler Automotive and Transmission in Alma, which towed two buses to and from the Fergus fire station and also flipped the buses for various bus extrication training exercises.
The City of Stratford also donated a city bus for the course, which involved about a dozen volunteer firefighters from southwestern Ontario, including several from Wellington departments.
The training coincided with the FFAO’s annual convention and trade show at the Fergus Sportsplex last weekend.
“It’s just phenomenal that people would donate a bus,” said Scheeringa, a member of the Woolwich Township fire department. “They’re providing us a tool that we can utilize for training for real-life scenarios … hopefully we can save a life because of it.”
Scheeringa said even buses no longer on the road can be valuable, even just for scrap, thus a donation of a complete bus is very uncommon. He also acknowledged the hours of time volunteered by Ken Buehler, of Buehler Automotive.
The generosity of Brenmar, Buehler Automotive and the City of Stratford helped keep course costs low for the FFAO, which then passed on savings to firefighters in the course, Scheeringa explained.
