SHAUNAVON — Longtime Shaunavon firefighter, Ron White, has retired after 14 years of dedicated service. White had currently been serving as deputy fire chief, a role he’d held for approximately half of those years.
White grew up in Castle Hill, Nfld. and moved to Saskatoon in 1982. He and his wife Jacqueline, who grew up in Shaunavon, moved to the community in 2004 after purchasing the Shaunavon Greenhouse. Eventually, White decided he wanted to get more involved in the community. Friends encouraged him to think about becoming a firefighter and it’s a decision he says he has never regretted.
When asked what the best parts of being a firefighter were, he says, “The people you work with; the adrenaline when you’re on a call; and, helping the community and being there for people.”
He admits he is looking forward to sleeping better at night, without worrying about a call coming in. The fire department is dispatched from Prince Albert with notifications going to members’ phones.
White describes the job as physical.
“The most physically demanding situations are often stubble or grass fires where you’re beating down the brush and walking a lot, often in very hot weather.”
Fire Chief Merrick Goldstein said that they don’t come any tougher than White and that the crew will miss his sense of humour, too.
“He’s so strong. During COVID, we tried to keep everyone busy and interested so we’d have challenges every Thursday night; one week it was push-ups. Ron did 10 and then stood up and said how hard that was, but before you knew it he was back down on the ground doing one-armed push-ups. His sense of humour is something we’re all going to miss.”
Goldstein further described him as the ‘Dad’ of the group and someone who remained cool on-scene.
White’s advice to anyone considering joining the fire department is an emphatic, “Do it.” He adds, “Everyone thinks that the time commitment is huge, but it really isn’t. For example, with the greenhouse being so busy in the spring, I have taken sabbaticals in April and May. We know that everyone’s work has to come first.”
White indicated that equipment and training have changed and improved over the years.
“There’s better knowledge and training about how to fight fires, on how to deal with motor vehicle accidents and we’re now learning more about how to deal with electric vehicle fires.”
“I learned so much and it is really enjoyable. It’s a great group and very close-knit. You have to be when looking out for each other in this type of position,” says White.
Goldstein admits, “He’s going to be difficult to replace, but there are a few potential candidates.” Currently, the fire department has 13 members but they could have up to 20. Anyone interested in learning about the opportunity can join them at the fire hall any Thursday at 7 p.m. to see what it’s all about.
