Ornge air ambulance service, made its way to Callander this weekend to be part of the equipment displays at this year’s Sirens in the Park event, organized by Callander Fire and Emergency Services.
Making its arrival even more special was having the medical transport helicopter piloted by Captain Greg Harper, a former Callander resident.
“It’s very special to be here. It’s heartwarming to come home and see a lot of people I know. It’s a great privilege for us to be here. To bring the aircraft to an event like this is a wonderful thing to be able to do,” said Harper.
“It’s a huge opportunity to educate the kids and the public in general. We gave tours of the helicopter showing the kids what it’s all about, and the different jobs that we do. Plus all of our partners are here which is great.”
The partners Harper referred to provide emergency services to the area.
“We’ve had support from North Bay Police Service, the OPP, Parry Sound District Ambulance Service, the MNRF, and for the first time Ornge,” said Callander Fire Chief Todd Daley.
“To give a little bit of background, most of these people are here on their day off. They’re not on the job. They’re here because they love what they do, and want to share it with the community. Really it’s about educating people, letting people see the equipment that they pay for, and meet the people who are out there protecting them, and it gives each agency a chance to get their message out.”
Now in the seventh year, Sirens in the Park was originally known as Heroes in the Sky. Firefighters raised money by staying on top of the Callander Plaza for 30 hours, while families took part in fire education and prevention activities below.
“It wasn’t really doing anything the first couple of years, so a few of the guys came up with the idea to move it to the park, and it’s grown steadily every year,” said Daley.
The original goal is the same today, to get those safety messages out to the community, in a fun learning environment.
Young Jayden McLaughlin took advantage of the hands-on learning experience. With the help of a Callander firefighter, he was shown the proper technique for using a fire hose, by spraying water on targets.
“The hose was really heavy, but it was a lot of fun,” said McLaughlin.
Volunteer members representing BAYSAR Air Search and Rescue from North Bay flew in and spoke to the public about the work they do.
“It coincided with one of our training flights and since we knew our fellow first responders were here, we were able to drop in and show we’re part of it,” said Stan French, president BAYSAR North Bay.
“Our mandate is to help authorities when requested to look for either missing persons, missing boats or aircraft.”
The day wrapped up with a movie in the park starting at dusk.
