The fire chiefs of Steinbach and Hanover were honoured this past weekend by the Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs. Kel Toews and Paul Wiebe both received medals for 25 years of service as firefighters. Toews says the time has flown by but he still clearly recalls how he got his start.

"The chief at the time, Curt Loewen, asked if I'd be interested in joining the fire department. I hemmed and hawed for quite awhile and then finally decided to make the move and apply and I've loved every minute of it since."

Wiebe explains what got him interested in joining the fire department a quarter century ago.

"Like many other people, I liked a bit of excitement in my life and I liked to work in the community, help others and firefighting seemed to be a good place to start."

Wiebe says non-firefighters may not understand the commitment to being ready to run whenever there's an emergency. But he adds it becomes a way of life and notes there's a special bond among firefighters.

"It's a great brotherhood, it's a great camaraderie to be part of the fire service, not just in your own communities and in your own departments but across the province. It's just a great group of individuals who step up in their own communities. It's a great thing to be a part of."

Toews agrees. He adds things have changed a lot over the years and gives a couple of examples.

"There's much more of an emphasis on safety. Back in those days when I joined, you went into a fire regardless of the fire conditions. Nowadays, you do a risk assessment, you read the smoke and you take a lot of things into consideration before a firefighter's life is risked. Another fairly big change in the volunteer service in general and, in particular the Steinbach Fire Department, we have to represent ourselves professionally. Gone are the good old days of the boys getting together to fight fires. We're city employees. We have to represent ourselves as such and we have to be professional in everything we do."

Both Wiebe and Toews say it was an honour to be recognized by the Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs and they hope to continue serving for years to come.