“What’s that? A column about the emergency personnel that we’ve included a supplement about honouring the folks who put their lives on the line to help out other people around them? How topical.” I agree. To properly honour a dedicated group of citizens who volunteer or make it their career and lives to help better the community around them would take much more than a few pages in a paper and a few words from a gingerly reporter, but I work with what I’m given. So this one is for all of you. Cpl. Bryson Hill, Cst. Tim McDonald, Cst. Sam Nakatsu, Gord Hogaboam, Barb Miller, and absolutely all of the rest of the personnel who are strategically placed on pages 10, 11 and 12. Because without these folks, we wouldn’t have had stories about people such as Nadine Crombie, the woman who miraculously survived after falling more than 15 feet from a log into a muddy creek bed below. She was out of cell phone service, and she couldn’t walk from her injuries. But with a lot of hard work and determination, she was found by search and rescue workers and police who were on the hunt to find her. Last time I spoke with Nadine, she was well in recovery and on her way to becoming a nurse herself since she was so impressed with the hard work of the hospital staff. I believe her daughter was going to go to school with her for that. Without the emergency responders, we wouldn’t have the hasty responses we get when vehicles crash and Terry Warren flies out to the scene to start helping out these complete strangers. Without the RCMP officers, we wouldn’t have people behind bars who were selling drugs, or a safe haven to go to when a hate crime happens, or catching the latest person who did a terrible breaking and entering and assault. Admittedly, there are times when I’m rolling my eyes at something the RCMP are doing elsewhere. But I won’t get into that. But I deeply respect those people who spend their lives trying to make the community a better place in their eyes. You may not agree with what’s out there all the time, or how certain situations are handled, but all in all, most of them are just doing what they believe is best. And I have to say, coming from the Lower Mainland to Nakusp, the officers and SAR members and ambulance and hospital staff are pretty great. There’s not enough space to write about how these folks truly help us out, even when you don’t see it, so I’ll leave it at this. Nakusp is lucky to have the folks it does. Just from my short year being here and getting to meet and speak with so many interesting people, I truly believe that each and every emergency personnel member here is passionate about what they do. I wouldn’t stop for a second or cock an eyebrow with a doubtful grin on my face if someone asked me that in person. At every chance, the emergency personnel here have been very open and receptive to speaking with me, even if it was an uncomfortable situation. Gord Hogaboam helped me out in a huge way when he organized the massive search and rescue event that brought in groups from all across the province. He vouched for me and got me deep into the woods while the teams did their things, allowing me to shadow them while trying me best to not interfere with what was happening. In fact, Cpl. Hill has done the same for me on quite a few occassions now. Mainly, when he set up a ride-along with Cst. Tim McDonald and I. He let me sit and pester one of his officers for a full night, all while showing me around the station and how things work just because. Working as a reporter in the Lower Mainland, yes, there were obviously very good officers to speak with and develop a relationship with. But the ratio is a little more tilted down there. Up here, I don’t have a single complaint against these folks. Well, maybe one or two. But that’s for another column. (I kid). So before I bore you all to death with this column, let me just say this. You may or may not believe it, but the officers and emergency personnel are truly out there protecting this amazing place. They have done so as a lifestyle choice. It’s what they live for, and it’s what they believe in. And they deserve a little round of applause. Now for those who don’t know what I’m talking about, just take a look at the back of the paper. There are some faces in there you should get to know, and give at least a nod to when you see them.
Sam Smith is the reporter/photographer for the Arrow Lakes News based out of Nakusp, B.C.