Colton Burns, a firefighter in Fort Saskatchewan, was the first to ride down their new and improved historic brass pole.
On April 10 Fort Saskatchewan firefighters held a presentation where they showed off their recently renovated firehall, including their refurbished pole that has been with the firefighters since they formed in 1096.
“One of the big things I noticed when I came here is all the history,” said Burns, who originally hails from Hinton. “There’s memorabilia from over the years and being a part of a fire department that really values that history is pretty cool.”
Burns was the first to ride down the pole in around 20 years, with the historic brass pole being taken out of commision in the early 2000s. Burns got to be the first through a raffle, with all proceeds being donated to the Fort Saskatchewan food bank.
Burns added that he found his passion for firefighting following a profound experience he had in his youth.
“There was a traumatic accident with a young girl on a bike that me and my brother witnessed. I called 911, helped her on the side of the road, and watching everyone showing up and helping out, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” said Burns. “From 16 years old I knew I wanted to chase the career, and now I’m here.”
In total, the raffle raised $1,600, which was presented to the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank in the name of Kassandra Gartner.
