Firefighter has a passion to serve and give back

March 4, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
The simple fabric patch on a firefighter’s sleeve is a badge of honour, a signal they’re willing to put it all on the line for someone else.
Their sense of duty runs deep, no matter where they serve.
For Schomberg’s Doug Cross, his career has taken him from the modern facilities of King Township and a nearby military base, to one of the poorest nations on earth.
Cross is a private in the Canadian Armed Forces, engaged in firefighting training at CFB Borden. He’ll be spending the next few months at Borden, running calls and learning the intricacies of fire and rescue at the base. The military training concentrates on aircraft fires, structural fires and hazardous material fires.
Borden, located in Simcoe County, is home to the Canadian Forces Support Training Group, which trains some 16,000 personnel annually.
He had to undergo three months of basic training at St.-Jean, Quebec, something he called “quite an experience.” All the cliches are true about military life and expectations – new recruits are up at 5 a.m. and subject to strict discipline, shined boots and attention to every detail.
When his training is complete, sometime this July, he’ll be posted to any one of several military bases across Canada. Currently his preference is CFB Trenton, which is still close enough for him to balance his work and personal commitments.
CFB Trenton is a 960-acre facility that’s home to RCAF’s tactical and strategic airlift aircraft. It plays a key support role for the National Search and Rescue Program. It’s also home for 8 Wing squadrons.
One of those commintments is as a volunteer with King Fire and Emergency Services. He’s worked out of the Schomberg station for roughly four years now and has found this to be the perfect training ground for his profession.
His roots also run deep in the community. His family members were key players in the early days of Nobleton, helping to establish St. Paul’s Church, as well as some early subdivisions. His dad David was a 10-year volunteer firefighter, working out of the Nobleton station.
Doug also honed his hockey skills in Schomberg, earning a provincial championship in 2008 and a silver stick in 2009 with the Red Wings. He’s been behind the bench coaching for the past few years.
He’s always wanted to be a firefighter, from the time he was a youngster.
The self-described “home town guy” loves making a difference and has been to some “tough calls.” He recalls one of his first responses was at the scene of a double homicide.
Cross doesn’t limit his service to his fellow citizens.
He’s eager to see the world and he’s already travelled on two humanitarian mission trips to Nicaragua in 2013 and earlier this year. He made the trek in conjunction with Pan Missions, a Christian mission serving Nicaragua since 1997.
During his first trip in 2013, he helped build a school and got a chance to tour fire halls in the area outside the capital of Managua.
He discovered they really don’t have the equipment necessary to get the job done. “They really do need some help,” he observed.
He was called back in January and asked King Fire Chief Jim Wall if there was any equipment to spare. The local service rose to the challenge, putting together some 10 sets of bunker gear. Cross had it all packed up and sent down.
The donations were given to two stations in the historic city of Grenada and Tipitapa Township (both with populations of roughly 124,000 each).
The equipment is put to very good use and the locals were very appreciative of the donations. “A lot more needs to be done,” Cross observed.
He did note that despite the cultural and geographical differences, firefighters the world over share a common bond, a sense of “family.”
“You could see this bond and sense of duty (there),”
Cross said.
He had a chance to speak to a local fire chief and he asked him what they needed most. “Everything” was the response.
Nicaragua is among the poorest countries in the Americas. According to the UN, 48% of the population lives below the poverty line and 80% lives on less than $2 per day.
Cross will continue to try to amass some supplies through Pan and ideally, he’d love to send down some breathing apparatus and defibrillators.
He hopes his flexible military schedule will allow him to return to Nicaragua in the near future.
Visiting this poor nation “humbles you” Cross said, adding life is simple there and people work hard for a living.
Whether it’s on a runway tarmac, fighting a grass fire in King, or training firefighters in Nicaragua, Doug Cross will continue to impact the lives of others.
He is a firefighter after all.