The payback is helping people
Shelburne County firefighters recognized for their service
When Shelburne Fire Chief Darrell Locke contacted volunteer firefighter Chris Ross to see if he was going to be at practice in mid-February because he had something he wanted to run by him, Ross had no idea what was in store.
“I just thought he wanted have a conversation about something,” said Ross in an interview.
As it turned out, Ross was selected as Firefighter of the Year for the department.
“We thought he was fitting recipient,” Locke said in an interview. “Chris came to us when he moved to the area. He had experience in another fire department. He fit right in, actively participating in firefighting, fundraising and support efforts for the department. His attendance was where it needed to be… there’s a criteria in place that we look for in selection of firefighter of year and he fit the criteria.”
Ross has been a volunteer firefighter for five years now, serving with the Gunning Cove and Barrington Port LaTour departments before joining the Shelburne department two years ago.
It was at the urging of a buddy that Ross initially became involved with volunteer firefighting. “I hummed and hawed for a while and then I said yes I will,” said Ross. “I joined, took my level one and ever since I’ve been in a fire department.”
Ross said he enjoys being a volunteer firefighter. “It’s an adrenaline rush. There’s a lot of training involved. You’ve got to put time into it. It means a lot of time away from your family, so they’ve got to be on board with that… it takes a lot of dedication.” The payback is helping people.