The People

There’s a huge sense of camaraderie and teamwork that goes with being a part of the Honour Guard. Those are the ways that it affects me, and we always have fun no matter where we go or what we’re doing.

Fire Response Paramedic Jennifer Hall

The Honour Guard includes members from many ranks of the Fire Department, including Firefighters, Senior Firefighters, Lieutenants, Captains, and Paramedics.

Backstage at the CFD Children’s Christmas Party, 2015.

Each volunteer brings unique experiences with them and has different motivations for joining. Many of these are personal, inspired by interactions with Guard members or the loss of colleagues. Each and every Guard member seeks to respect the profession, and represent the Department positively.

Members of the Honour Guard and the Pipes and Drums band share a joke before the 2015 Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

The variety of members creates an incredibly close knit community. They see each other at their best and worst, and form relationships across rank and seniority. The public rarely sees this family atmosphere, as it remains hidden behind the stoic ceremony of the Honour Guard. The communal spirit makes the Guard a truly special group, taking care and attention for every single colleague in the uniform. Drill training and travelling are where the real community element comes together, and many Guard members count this as one of the best parts of their service.

More than anything, members of the Guard want to share their deep sense of pride in the profession with every single member of the public. While we all appreciate the work done by our local department, there’s sometimes a lack of knowledge about how risky the job is, and how hard our firefighters work to keep the community safe. The Honour Guard tries to bring this to the public’s attention in any way possible, reminding us of past sacrifices and current tragedies.

We asked a small sample of the Honour Guard to discuss their thoughts on the unit, and what it means to be a part of it. You can watch these interviews on the following pages. Read on and find out what they have to say!