A good crowd came out early for the annual Iroquois Firefighters Association breakfast, but service was quick, tables were cleared quickly, and there was plenty of food for a price that was more than fair (donation only.) Tinkess Photo

IROQUOIS – There are two things people typically think about when the conversation turns to firefighters: One, they are a group of people who run towards danger when most are running away, and two, they also show a proficiency for putting on an excellent meal for a large group of people. On Sun., Feb. 15, the latter was true, as anyone who attended what has become an annual event would testify.

From 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., members of the Iroquois Firefighters Association prepared and served a delicious pancake breakfast in the auditorium of the Iroquois Civic Centre. The pancakes were fluffy, the sausages were cooked to perfection and there was plenty of tea, coffee and juice with which to wash it down.

Captain Bryan Holmes was one of the dedicated members on hand to provide more than the usual service we expect from those who help keep the community safe.

“We’ve been doing it now for a while,” said Captain Holmes. “I think this year is the fifth year, we’ve been doing it. Last year. It wasn’t so great. We did it during a snowstorm and we had maybe 14 people show up.”

The breakfast itself is free, but donations were accepted. “We raise the money so that we can top up things at the fire hall for ourselves,” continues Holmes. “The municipality gives us the minimum, but if we want leather boots rather than rubber boots, we use this money for things like that. Just different little items that we need to purchase.

There’s always something you can add that makes the job you do a little bit easier, or safer, and events like this ensure the burden doesn’t land on the taxpayer.

Captain Holmes has been a firefighter for about 17 years, and says it was pretty much what he had expected it to be. His father was a firefighter, one of five who died in the line of duty while on route to a fire in 1981. “It took me a few years to get into it, but once I did, I wouldn’t change it.  It was exactly what I thought it would be. And it’s a family, so we’re all family. We all get along good, so it’s pretty awesome.”

There was a steady flow of people through the doors when they opened at 9:00 a.m., but the crew was ready for them, so there was no waiting to be served, and tables were cleared promptly so there was always room for at least one more.

Firefighters are among the people we often come into contact with on one of the worst days of our life, so it is a nice change to see them in more pleasant circumstances and thank them for their service.