Firefighter Ron Suits knew something was wrong when he arrived at the scene of a barn fire west of Port Alberni and pulled his fire tender full of water to the site.
A lieutenant with the Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department, and career firefighter for nearly four decades, Suits, 69, was pulling up to nurse water to a fire engine on the side of the rural McCoy Lake Road, because the area is not served by fire hydrants.
B次元官网网址淩on got out of the truck and came around the back of the truck and told me there was a problem, he wasnB次元官网网址檛 feeling good,B次元官网网址� Sproat Lake VFD Chief Mike Cann recalled. B次元官网网址淗e then sat on the tailboard of the truck and I grabbed a couple of first responder members that were close by.B次元官网网址�
Four fire departmentsB次元官网网址擲proat Lake, Port Alberni, Cherry Creek and Beaver CreekB次元官网网址攈ad all responded to the structure fire, where a barn full of hay was burning hot and fast. Smoke could be seen kilometres away, and it drew curious members of the public, snarling traffic on the winding road. The first responders, from Beaver Creek VFD, moved Suits to a seated position on the side of the road. Cann also called for an ambulance attendant to come up to where the tender wasB次元官网网址攖he ambulance was having trouble getting through the traffic.
B次元官网网址淗e went into cardiac arrest,B次元官网网址� said Cann, who was beside Suits. The first responders and paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 30 minutes before rushing Suits to West Coast General Hospital. Unfortunately, he did not survive.
Although Cann is chief, for this fire he was third to arrive on scene, so he chose to supervise the water supply; Chris Wynans was incident commander. Cann said later he wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have wanted to be anywhere else but with Suits.
B次元官网网址淎s soon as he started having difficulties we had trained people on himB次元官网网址攚ithin a minute,B次元官网网址� he recalled.
SuitsB次元官网网址� wife Leanne is grateful.
B次元官网网址淐ircumstances being what they are, he was surrounded by people who knew what to do and they did it,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚f he had any chance of surviving this, it was there. He had the best chance he could possibly have had. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of consolation in that, because thereB次元官网网址檚 no second-guessing.B次元官网网址�
Suits spent 27 years with the Calgary fire department. He took early retirement so he and his wife Leanne, a nurse, could move to Vancouver Island. Their two childrenB次元官网网址擳yler, now 21 and a paramedic in Port McNeill, and Rebecca, now 19 and a university studentB次元官网网址攚ere toddlers, and LeanneB次元官网网址檚 job was portable.
B次元官网网址淲e decidedB次元官网网址o slow things down and get out of the rat race,B次元官网网址� Leanne said. B次元官网网址淚t was a good decision.B次元官网网址�
Ron spent three years on the board of directors at the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department in Qualicum Beach (2005B次元官网网址�08). The family eventually moved to Port Alberni, to their property in Sproat Lake. B次元官网网址淥ur son was going to join the junior firefighter program,B次元官网网址� Leanne said. B次元官网网址淩on brought Ty to his first practice. The guys were like B次元官网网址極h!B次元官网网址� and they roped him in.B次元官网网址�
Willingly, she added.
Rest In Peace Ron, thank you for your dedication, your service and your sacrifice. You will be missed!
B次元官网网址� Dashwood Fire Department (@Dashwood6)
Ron served with SLVFD for four and a half years. A modest person, he quietly mentored younger firefighters, and he offered his opinion but never pushed it on anyone, Cann said.
Every Tuesday after practice, Suits would come into CannB次元官网网址檚 office and sit down for a chat. Sometimes they didnB次元官网网址檛 even chat, but sat in companionable silence.
B次元官网网址淗e was always willing to do extra work in the department. I spent a lot of time talking to him about his time at the Calgary department.B次元官网网址� Suits was a regular on the Saturday duty crews, who put in an extra four-hour training shift.
B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 know many people who retire from a career and then go back and do it for nothing,B次元官网网址� Cann said. B次元官网网址淚t speaks volumes for his caring and willingness to help people.
B次元官网网址淗e certainly will be missed.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淩on didnB次元官网网址檛 have to be there, he chose to be there,B次元官网网址� Leanne said. B次元官网网址淗e liked helping. That was who he was. He loved his career; he really enjoyed being able to be part of (the SLVFD). The guys on Sproat Lake Volunteer Fire Department are amazing.B次元官网网址�
This is the second line of duty death that the Sproat Lake VFD has experienced in 18 months. Firefighter Carla Kulczycki died on Jan. 2, 2019 from work-related cancer.
Cann said it has hit his department hard. He doesnB次元官网网址檛 know of another line of duty death among firefighters at Sproat Lake, and now he has had two on his watch.
Cann said he was proud of all the Sproat Lake firefighters who kept on working to extinguish the barn fire, even after they knew what had happened to their colleague. B次元官网网址淔ire doesnB次元官网网址檛 stop. It keeps going. I was pretty proud of our crew that they kept going.B次元官网网址�
Cann had two Critical Incident Stress debriefing sessions with his firefighters: B次元官网网址淭he night of the fireB次元官网网址e brought all the crews in and left some crew from Beaver Creek to work with the excavator (at the barn site),B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e were very fortunate Karen Fry, NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 fire chief, drove all the way up.B次元官网网址�
The second session was on Saturday with a representative from WorkSafe BC. Counselling has also been offered to members through WorkSafe BC as well as Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP).
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the fire department wonB次元官网网址檛 be having a public line of duty death service like they did for Kulczycki. Firefighters from around Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland came to Port Alberni for a procession up Roger Street to the Alberni Athletic Hall, where the hall was filled to overflowing.
The family has a beautiful riverfront property, where Ron spent a lot of time working outdoors, and they will have a private ceremony there, Leanne Suits said.
The fire department will take part in the service.
susie.quinn@albernivalleynews.com
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