Wawa gets its first full-time fire prevention officer

June 21, 2010

Nikki Filion has completed the Fire Prevention Officer Program following years of study, and has the diploma from the Ontario Fire College in Gravenhurst to prove it.

Council recently recognized her years of work with congratulations and commended her perseverance in staying with the program.

Few small communities the size of Wawa actually have a full-time FPO. This is a job usually picked up by volunteers on the fire-fighting team.

However, a city the size of Sault Ste. Marie has four full-time FPO’s, with that city’s fire chief doing double-duty.

 Filion said the diploma involved five years of study in many different areas, most of it done after her regular work hours, at home. Five times a year she made the trek to Gravenhurst for classroom learning. Very little funding was available to her for these needed sojourns.

She was first hired on with the municipality with a full-time contract position in 2003. She looked after public education as the prevention/communications officer. She also recorded on-the-scene action for accountability purposes. She completed a six-month course with nine different sections and then a Public Fire and Life Safety Educator Certificate Program, which gave her a diploma from the OFC. By 2006 she had a full-time permanent position.

“We’re like a family who comes together, when there is a need, like now to honour our past chief,” Filion said from her office in a corner nook of the fire hall.

She was speaking of the death of Allan Kettles, who died just the day before she was interviewed.

“Allan was my mentor. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Allan’s support. He believed in me and pushed me to continue. He believed the diploma was good for me and good for the community.”

Kevin Sabourin, Kettles’ successor as chief of the WVFD and Filion’s immediate supervisor, said Filion “has a good working relationship with the community. She has worked very hard and this diploma is beneficial for her and the community.”

Filion is a busy mom of two, daughter Hayley, 12, and son Joshua, eight. Her partner, Greg Mills, is deputy chief of the department.

SOURCE
The Sault Star

Article Courtesy of:
	Nikki Filion Wawa Fire Department Wawa, Phone: (705) 856-2244

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