Two Wellington County residents will be recognized this week with Fire Safety Awards from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office.
Ashlee Swackhamer, 11, of Orton, and Colin Smith of Rockwood are among 20 individuals and groups from across the province being recognized at a June 19 ceremony in Toronto hosted by the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council.
The awards recognize outstanding contributions to fire protection and prevention in Ontario.
Swackhamer
In mid-December, Ashlee Swackhamer was at her family’s Erin home south of Orton when she spotted smoke and flames coming from the workshop on their property.
She immediately told her grandmother to call 9-1-1 and though they were both concerned about four dogs that may have been in the building, she and her grandmother waited outside for the fire department to arrive.
“Ashlee had learned that in a fire, you must never enter a burning building,” stated a press release from the Fire Marshal’s office.
“I’ve always known fire is unsafe,” Swackhamer told the Advertiser, noting her grandfather is a fire chief.
The fire department managed to save three of the dogs and extinguished the fire before it spread to the house.
“Knowing what to do and where to go when a fire occurs is a key part of being able to keep yourself and others safe from fire,” said Ted Wieclawek, chair of the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council.
“As a result of Ashlee’s actions, there has been a heightened awareness about the importance of fire safety education in the community.”
Swackhamer was shocked when informed she was to receive a Fire Safety Action Award, which is given to children and teenagers who have actively demonstrated fire safety behaviours.
“I was pretty surprised and I was very excited and honoured,” she said of her reaction to the announcement.
Smith
A resident of Rockwood, Smith will receive a Fire Safety Award for his role in helping Guelph-Eramosa Fire Rescue to launch a new public education initiative to reach residents through social media.
Smith, a longtime resident of the area and a video and music editor, was more than happy to donate his time and talents to the project.
“I thought, ‘why not just offer my services?’” Smith told the Advertiser.
He arranged the storylines and filmed and edited several videos aimed at raising awareness about fire safety issues. The videos were subsequently posted on YouTube, as well as the township and fire department websites. They have also been broadcast on TV Cogeco.
“The videos were so successful that Colin’s talents are now being sought by numerous other fire departments,” said Wieclawek.
“Colin will be a very busy man, because Guelph-Eramosa Fire Rescue has plans to produce 12 new videos each year, to reach and teach as many people as possible through emerging technologies.”
Smith said a few weeks ago Guelph-Eramosa firefighters arrived at his home to announce he would be receiving the provincial Fire Safety Award.
“It just blew me away,” he said.
