Fred Wilkinson joined the force in 1995 and climbed company ladder to become a Prince George Fire Rescue assistant chief
In 28 ½ years as a Prince George firefighter, with every fire he attended with his crew, every traffic accident and medical call they responded to, Fred Wilkinson knew there was someone who needed his help on what was likely one of the worst day of their lives.
“When you run into a person you’ve assisted and see them out and about walking and talking it gives you a little bit of satisfaction that you’ve helped that person,” said Wilkinson. “There are aspects of the job where you see sometimes pretty terrible things, but firefighting itself is a challenge and it’s fun. It’s an adrenaline rush.
“Just sitting watching the whole thing, it was incredible. It was the highlight of my career to see how the training has come and to see how they performed that day to save those people was incredible. I was so proud of them.” In a career that spanned nearly three decades, Wilkinson’s job changed significantly. Ten years ago, under chief John Lane, all Prince George firefighters raised their first aid standards to become Emergency Medical Responders, equivalent to that of a basic paramedic. Education of firefighting techniques and safety standards also took a leap forward to make the job less hazardous.
“It’s like having a second family,” he said. “You know these people intimately and we share a lot of stuff people wouldn’t in other work environments. You develop a close team and friendships that will last after you’re retired and it’s pretty neat.
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