Keeping a city safe

For many Oshawa residents, it has been a scary year.

The amount of fires in the city has skyrocketed compared to last year, with those hungry flames causing millions of dollars in damage. And while several residents have lost their homes, thankfully, they have not lost their lives.

Oshawa Fire Services just saw its fourth straight year of zero fatalities, and despite more than 40 fires in 2016, they havekept it that way, and that deserves recognition.

In times of emergency, our minds are elsewhere, lost in grief, loss and confusion. Yet, Oshawa’s firefighters are there, their minds fully in the game as they spring into action, and over the last few years they are doing it more and more as they city’s size continues to grow.

But even with increasing number of fires, calls and emergency responses, the fire department continues to deliver the strong and safe service it always has – a testament to the dedication to the people of this city and a byproduct of the constant learning the department undergoes year-to-year.

New training programs, new education programs for residents and students alike, and new support programs to help firefighters cope with the destruction and sadness they deal with in the face of a fire.

But as bright as those fires burn, it is dim in comparison to the passion these men and women bring to their roles in the pursuit of safety for the City of Oshawa.

One man in particular deserves recognition after 33 years with the city – Chief Steve Meringer will be taking his much-deserved retirement at the beginning of July.

Meringer has been instrumental in guiding Oshawa’s fire department through many years of progress as his department has grown and adapted to suit the city’s needs.

Most recently, Meringer assisted in bringing Oshawa’s latest fire hall to fruition, with Fire Hall 6, located in the north of the city, set to be open at the end of July, just in time for Meringer to see it before it rides off into the sunset.

The Oshawa Express commends Steve and everyone at Oshawa Fire Services for everything they do for our community and their efforts in keeping an entire city safe from harm.