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THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2007 THE NEW TANNER 13 ROCKWOODThe Miller Wellington O.P.P. Report EMERGENCY: Ffl ashing green lights on vehicles like the one pictured here on fi refi ghter Scott Hossies visor means Please pull over safely, and let me pass. Rebecca Ring Photo Daylight break-in Wellington OPP offi cers responded to a report of a break-in at a home located on Wellington Road 50 in Erin on Monday Aug 13 at about 6pm. The homeowner re- ported being away from the home between 3:30pm and 5:30pm at this time. When she arrived home found that the front door had been pr ied open. Police said the home appeared to have been ransacked with a desktop computer and cash taken. Stolen property included a NCIX black desktop com- puter, and a 19 black NEC Viewsonic monitor with an estimated value of $1,500. Police are asking if anyone has information regarding this theft to contact Welling- ton OPPs Rockwood offi ce at 519-856-1506 or they could leave an anonymous tip with the Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (1-800- 222-TIPS). Speeder of the week At midnight on Tuesday, August 7, Constable Dave OLeary of the Fergus of- fice of Wellington O.P.P. was conducting speed en- forcement on Highway 6 in Nichol Township when he observed a 1992 Toyota Corolla travelling at a high rate of speed southbound on Highway 6. The offi cer activated his stationary radar and the Corolla entered the beam and recorded a speed of 138-km/h in a posted 80- km/h zone. A 29-year- old Oakville man faces a charge of speeding and is scheduled to appear in Guelph P.O.A. Court on September 19. By Frances Niblock A public meeting will be called to gather comments on a proposed rezoning to allow a convenience store with a drive-through at the existing gas station on the north west corner of Wellington Road 124 and 27 in Brucedale. In an overview of the re-zoning application planner Ber- nie Hermsen said given the similarity of what is proposed to the existing permitted uses and function of development, as well as reverent planning policy, the addition of conve- nience store as a permitted use is appropriate. We think a convenience store has merit, Hermsen told Guelph/Eramosa Township Council on Tuesday, adding no negative comments have been made by agencies asked to comment on the proposal. There is currently a gas bar, coffee shop and apartment on the site. The redevelopment would demolition of parts of the existing building and an addition. The apartment would be relocated to a new second fl oor. Traffi c would access the site from two existing driveways onto Wellington Road 27 and one driveway onto Wellington Road 124. Public meeting called to discuss Brucedale store By Frances Niblock Three veteran volunteer fi refi ghters who have dedi- cated their lives to keeping Guelph/ Eramosa Township safe were honoured for their long-standing service at a Township council meeting on Tuesday. Retired Lieutenant Bob Jestin received a 20-year long service Federal medal recognizing his loyal and exemplary service to public security, and a 30-year ser- vice award. Lieutenant Les Nelson received his 20-year ser- vice medal, and Deputy Fire Chief Dan Hitchcock received a 20-year medal for loyal and exemplary public service and a second medal for 25years of service. These men have dedicated themselves to this commu- nity for decades and deserve our thanks for their hard work and loyalty, Deputy Chief Lyle Quan said before the awards ceremony. Speaking as a citizen and a councillor, Doug Breen thanked the awardees and their colleagues who fi lled a row in the Brucedale council chambers for the personal sacrifi ces they make to keep the Township safe. Theres lots of nights when Im crawling into bed, thinking about what a rough day Ive had, and Ill see your lights go fl ying by my door again.(and) when I go out the next morning, sometimes you guys are still there, Breen said. Councillor Breen said they also owe thanks to area em- ployers who allow their staff to drop everything and an- swer emergency calls. Then to do it for 20, 25 and 30 years. Well done. Currently there is a full complement of 32 volunteer fi refi ghters who carry pagers to respond to calls within Eramosa, bolstered by a res- cue truck, two pumper/fi re trucks, a tanker truck and a specialty truck all based in Rockwood. During the fi rst six months of this year Guelph/Eramosa firefighters answered 149 calls, with more than half (80) classifi ed as medical. The second highest number of calls (16) was for mo- tor vehicle collisions and third highest was eight false alarms. From January to June, fi re- fi ghters responded to seven illegal burns and answered six fi re calls four structural fi res and two kitchen or stove fi res. By Rebecca Ring The fl ashing green light in our vehicles means we are responding to an emer- gency, and we are asking people to safely move over and let us pass, says Cap- tain Bernie Liebig, Assistant Fire Prevention Offi cer for Guelph/Eramosa. Unlike their larger city counterparts, volunteer fi re- fi ghters are not at the fi re hall waiting to jump into the fi re truck when an emergency is called in. Instead, they may be at home, work or play where they must drop everything, jump in their own vehicle, and head immediately to the fi re hall, where they will then board the emergency vehicle and rush to the scene. In some cases, the volun- teer may need to proceed to the scene in his or her own car. This can add precious minutes to the emergency response time. To help reduce that time, the Ontario Highway Traffi c Act states, A fi refi ghter may carry on or in his or her vehicle a lamp that produces intermittent fl ashes of green light and may operate the light if the motor vehicle is proceeding to a fi re or other emergency. The green light is a courtesy light. It gives the fi refi ghters no special privi- leges when responding to an emergency. Its purpose is to ask other drivers to give up their right-of-way and allow the fi refi ghter to get to the emergency unimpeded. The fire chief allows or disallows use of the light. In growing areas like Rockwood, many people move from larger urban ar- eas and are unaware of the green light program. Without the light or awareness of it, drivers may not know that an emergency exists and un- knowingly delay fi refi ghters hurrying to the hall or the scene. Different styles There are different styles of the light, including an LED or a rotating beacon. They may be attached to the visor, dash- board or grill of the vehicle. Liebig asks that drivers watch for the fl ashing green light when in traffic and doing mirror checks, adding, If you see it, treat it like any other emergency vehicle and yield the right-of-way safely. Firefighter Scott FIREFIGHTERS HONOURED: Three volunteer Guelph/ Eramosa fi refi ghters received long service awards from Deputy Fire Chief Lyle Quan (left) and Mayor Chris White (right) on Tuesday. The awardees include Deputy Chief Dan Hitchcock, Lieutenant Les Nelson and retired Lieutenant Bob Jestin. Frances Niblock photo Hossie says, Dont panic stay calm, as with any other emergency vehicle. Most people do yield the right-of-way to the fl ashing green light, but others simply do not know what the light means, says Liebig, Fire- fighters appreciate people pulling over safely. It will reduce our response time. In some cases, faster response time can mean the difference between life and death. Flashing green light in vehicle means Emergency; please pull over Rockwood fi refi ghters are honoured for their long standing service