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L Page A4 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ July 19,2006 durhamregion.com Part-time firefighter, long-time career From page A1 having reached the level of District District Chief. The decision to retire wasn't an easy one for Mr. Drunim. But, when he lost his son, John, four- and-a-half years ago, to cancer, the former District Chief said he started to "look at things a little differently." Two years ago, at age 57, he took early retirement from his 35-year career at the GM Oshawa car plant. But, for a while, he continued as a part- time firefighter. "Early on this year, I was reviewing my life and there were things I wanted to do when I left GM that I haven't, and there's one reason why," he said. So, to the surprise of his wife, Doris, daughter Paula, and almost everyone else who knows him, he chose to quit firefighting. "Everyone was shocked," he said. There : have been plenty of memorable calls for Mr. Drumin over his years on what eventually eventually became the Clarington fire department. "The odd-ball calls, the one- in-a-lifetime ones," like a plane crash on the lawn of Pingle's farm in Courtice and others, "stand out," said Mr. Drumm. "You think you've seen it all and then something like that happens and you just shake your head." The scariest call came late in his career, during the Nov. 9, 2004 series of explosions and fires at Caledon Propane, in Bowmanville. He w'as helping contain one of the major fires at the site and all night, firefighters could hear, but not sec, propane tanks blowing up. In some cases they were blasting off nearby. 'The odd-ball calls, the one-in-a-lifetime ones stand out.' -- Joe Drumm "When daylight came the next morning ...that field (next to where the fire was being fought) was just littered with 20-pounders 20-pounders (propane tanks)," recalled Mr. Drumm. Being on the fire depart ment has taught him a great deal, said the former District Chief. "I notice some things that other people don't, because it's so ingrained," he ,said, noting he has numerous fire extinguishers and smoke detectors through his Courtice home. "Every time I see in the news that someone has died in a house fire, I say, T wonder how many working smoke detectors were in that house,' and I bet I know the answer," he said. "Smoke detectors save lives, there's no question." Over the years, he's seen things change in Courtice, and at the fire hall. As Courticc's population population grew, the station went from being staffed entirely by part- timers, to getting a full-time day crew, to getting 24/7 full-time firefighters at the station, while keeping the part-timers on. The station tries to keep 25 part-timers part-timers on staff at all times. Being a part-timer isn't necessarily an easy job, said Mr. Drumm. "I would be out two or three hours in the night, and go in and work .at GM" during the day, he said. "It's a huge personal commitment and you have to be aware of that. As a part-time firefighter, there is no start and stop (time to the workday.) You have to be around." It's been gratifying to find he and the fire department have positively positively impacted people's lives, he said, pointing to one occasion where they went to a home in Courtice to help a woman in relatively minor medical distress. Since that call, Mr. Drumm said , he's had occasion to run into the woman and her husband, and each time, they thank him for that he did that day. . "This is a case where it wasn't anything really serious, but it meant a lot that, we came and helped," he said. "That's why I joined the fire department. It means more than any accolades." accolades." Walter Passarella / Metroland Durham Region Media Group One of Courtice's original firefighters, Pat Drumm, retired at the end of June after 27 years on the job. This Week Exbtibge totetf- Journal News Advertiser Cauflbiait Statesman FORT PERRY STAR Since 1978 Monday to Wednesday 10-6 HOURS T hursda y to Friday 10-9 Saturday 10-6 & Sunday 11-4 17 - <D 0 s * n to .r d > H O a v) û u I- 0) 1 E E 2 W (Z) ÛC 3 O <■> h- " O Q> X Q CL </) H I