by Guillaume Laflamme
Bristol
May 18, 2024
More than a hundred people crowded into the newly expanded Bristol fire station first thing Saturday morning to enjoy freshly made pancakes cooked and served by their local fire department.
The event was organized to raise money for the Jaws of Life tools recently acquired by the fire department.
“It’s a fundraiser slash thank you to the community for all the support with everything we’ve done in the last few years, between the Jaws that we have just now and a rescue boat that we had last year,” said Daniel Johnson, a firefighter for over 11 years.
“I didn’t expect it to go this well, but it . . .
turned out great. People keep coming in in waves.”
For $10, people could enjoy three pancakes cooked up by Chief Kevin Kluke topped with locally made maple syrup, and get a close-up look at the Jaws of Life which were on display at the breakfast.
Ken Bernard, a firefighter who recently completed his Jaws of Life training, was happy to see a good turnout at the event.
He explained the Jaws are another tool in the department’s arsenal to help its firefighters save lives.
“We’re trying to build a fully functional fire department. So hence, we’re on the water, we’ve got the boat. And now we have the Jaws,” Bernard said.
Despite having completed the Jaws of Life certification, the eight firefighters who took the training are still waiting to hear the official results on whether they’ve passed the course.
“As far as I know, I’ve passed. But I’m just waiting for the chief to come out and tell everybody we’ve all passed and now we’re in service,” Johnson said
The event was also a contest, giving community members a chance to recommend names for the department’s newly acquired mannequin, which was seated in a boat at the station’s entrance.
“So we have this contest and we’re hoping at least a hundred people put their name choice down and we’ll name the mannequin,” Bernard said.
According to Chief Kluke, the event was so popular that the firefighters had to restock on ingredients to make pancakes, despite having prepared to serve up to 200 people, and they hope to make it an annual event.
