Left to right:
Instructors Lieutenant Paul Roy and Captain Eric Miller, Kirk Wolstenholme, Sean Mikolajewski, Chief Marc Norris, Ethan Marquis, Tonis Tutti, Travis Rathburn, Christina Zanchetta, and Niels Bjornson
The Parksville Volunteer Fire Department welcomed seven new members as the 2021 graduating class - Niels Bjornson, Ethan Marquis, Sean Mikolajewski, Travis Rathburn, Tonis Tutti, Kirk Wolstenholme, and Christina Zanchetta. At a small ceremony on April 7, our proud recruit firefighters were presented with their yellow hats and congratulated for their accomplishments. Recruit training began in May 2020.
Prior to COVID restrictions, graduates and their families gathered at a monthly meeting for an official graduation ceremony where recruits would receive their badge and yellow hat. During a pandemic this year, the department was creative in recognizing this latest class of graduates. Parksville Fire was pleased to celebrate by hosting a modified grad ceremony at the firehall with just the recruits, Chief Norris and training officers attending. During Zoom meeting for all members on April 12, recruit badges were pinned by someone of their choosing, another way to celebrate their accomplishments.
The department welcomes the seven members of the class of 2021 and thanks them for their many hours of dedication and hard work over this past year. It has been a challenging journey for these new members as they navigated their training while navigating COVID-19 safety precautions.
QUOTE FROM FIRE CHIEF MARC NORRIS:
“Our newest recruits proved they were up for the task, successfully completing their first year of training, demonstrating skills and dedication. It is my pleasure to welcome this new batch of recruits into our ranks and to the Parksville Fire Rescue family.”
Parksville Fire Rescue is a composite department of paid on-call volunteer firefighters and career firefighters providing fire and rescue services to the Parksville Fire Protection Area. Parksville Fire has served the community since 1942, responding to emergencies 365 days a year. Firefighting offers personal and professional challenges, extensive training in all aspects of firefighting and the opportunity to serve your community. Details about recruitment as well as a junior program for those under age 19, may be viewed on the department’s website.
For more information:
Parksville Volunteer Fire Department
