Platoon chief leaves behind a changing fire service

After 32 years of service, Platoon Chief Terry Dubois will leave Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services a little better than he found it, says its chief.

“The baby boomers are starting to move on, so we have all of that experience we need to make sure we can transfer before they go. Terry has done a good job of mentoring his captain and firefighters,” said Chief Mike Figliola, who joined the service in January.

A small send-off for Dubois was held today at Fire Station No. 4 on Old Garden River Road before his May 31 retirement.

Asked what he wanted to do with his new-found free time, Dubois replied, “A little more golf. A lot more golf, maybe.”

Between games he hopes to dedicate his time by voluneering.

Dubois worked his way through the ranks as firefighter, driver and captain, becoming platoon chief about two years ago.

In that time he has seen a lot of change in the service.

“We’re not just firefighters anymore, we are specialized technicians,” he said.

The business of fighting fires is changing across the province.

Between 1997 and 2012 the number of fires reported in Ontario fell by 41.4%, while the number of firefighters increased by 36.3%, according to a recent report by the Fraser Institute.

Figliola said the service is currently in the the business planning stages leading up to its 2016 budget, which will be presented to city council in the fall.

“Clearly there are huge budgetary pressures. We need to look at being as effective as we can. There’s things we aren’t doing that we should be and things we do we probably shouldn’t be doing,” Figliola said.

The same Fraser Institute report also states that while fire calls across the province may be down, non-fire calls are up.

Besides fighting fires, Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services also responds to confined space rescue, ice water rescue and hazardous materials spills.

“Plus our medical role is growing. We are a support for EMS, we are there to assist them and stabilize the situation for EMS to take over,” added Dubois.

Dubois said he remembers many calls vividly, but said the people who come back long after the call to say thank you are the most rewarding.

“If you see a firefighter and think they make good money and have a good job, ask if they carry any baggage. We are going to retire with some visions we have in our head we can’t erase,” Dubois said.

(PHOTO L-R: Platoon Chief Terry Dubois speaks with Chief Mike Figliola duirng a retirement party held today at Fire Station No. 4 on Old Garden River Road. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)