I’ve worked with Ron Haskins the Chief of the Montague Fire Service for many years. We’ve done group shots in full dress uniforms and in their “bunker gear”. These are all hanging in the fire hall and the township office.
As you can imagine, a Volunteer Fire Service is a really interesting and diverse group of guys to work with. Lots of humour, lots of cutting each other up as some try valiantly to squeeze into their dress uniforms (they all swear that their closets shrinks the jackets). But I have watched them in training sessions and they are all business when it comes to fighting fires and rescuing people in distress.
We had first hand experience with that recently when fires erupted along the train tracks from Perth to just west of where we live. We could smell the smoke in our subdivision and images of Fort McMurray flashed through our minds.
There were fire departments called out from all around Lanark County to control what could have been dangerous brush fires in the extremely dry conditions we’ve been having. Montague FD was assigned our end of the fire zone and they did a great job in putting out the flames and keeping our homes safe and sound. Turns out the fire wasn’t as close as we thought, but it’s reassuring to know that there are dedicated people like Chief Ron Haskins and their Fire Service on call for us.
Ron has retired recently and wanted a final portrait grouping prepared of the last group of volunteers under his watch. We designed this composite image featuring portraits of all of the men and the Fire Service vehicles.
Congrats Ron and I look forward to working with new Chief Miles Greer in the future.
