A group that assists the Petrolia and North Enniskillen Fire Department during larger scale events is getting some special recognition from the province.
The Support Operations Response Team (SORT) has been presented with the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism.
Fire Chief Jay Arns said the group plays a very important role.
"They provide firefighter rehab for all of our firefighters, they provide cylinder changeovers, they provide accountability, and decontamination processes during HAZMAT incidents."
Petrolia's SORT team is presented with the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism (Photo courtesy of Town of Petrolia)
Arns said SORT was instrumental in assisting with the town's COVID testing and assessment centre.
He said volunteers were on site everyday for nearly a year, setting up the tent, doing logistics, and disinfecting.
They also provide medical first aid treatment at event sites across the community.
"Throughout every year we track their hours, just to give us an understanding of the importance of them and what they do," he said. "In an average year, outside of COVID, it's probably in the 1,000 hour range that they put into our department and our town and surrounding areas."
Members of SORT include Paula Stokes, Colleen Johnson, Brooke Osthoff, Valerie Dejeu, Pam Barrington, Amber McLaughlin, Martin McLaughlin, Karen Kuykendal, Mitchel McCauley, Andrew Hart, Erv Sullivan, Tori Macdonald, Steve McLaughlin (retired), and Jed Gould (retired).
