Lloyd finds her niche as a volunteer firefighter

March 16, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
A desire and commitment to be part of a life-saving community team is what drives members of the King Fire & Emergency Services.
Take Ali Lloyd for instance. Just two years in as a local volunteer firefighter and she’s found a new home team to be part of, and cheer for.
She’s been a sports enthusiast for as along as she can remember and earned a degree in physical education from Brock University.
She found firefighting “intriguing” and it really clicked for her during her pre-service course at Georgian.
She’s only one of six female firefighters in King, but it doesn’t matter. The “family” took her in and treats her just any other trained professional.
“It’s pretty awesome,” she observed.
The King City resident clearly remembers her first call, one for medical assistance. EMS was first on scene and her colleagues coached her through her first response. She’s been to several vehicle fires, which are more common than people may think. The car fires, usually with no occupants, are great “practice” for getting the gear on and battling a small blaze. Your skills and training all come into play, she said. So far, she hasn’t seen anything too tragic.
Her ultimate goal is to be a full-time firefighter, hopefully somewhere in York Region. It’s a long process, but she’s putting in her time and doing the training. Since she’s in close proximity to the King City station, she’s often first on the bus.
King Fire and Emergency Services is admired far and wide for their training, equipment and professional response. They’re one of the best volunteer outfits around.
And that attitude permeates the fire halls.
“I’m a firefighter,” Lloyd stressed. “I get all the experience and opportunities of the full-time guys,” she said. “When the pager goes off, I’m out the door.”
She’s still trying to grasp all of the intricacies of the job, but she loves it.
The clan of firefighters are “your family” she said. Working together in the same community is “pretty awesome.”
Everyone brings their own skill set to the task and Lloyd is a calm, team player and she’s adept at all the complexities of the breathing apparatus.
A big part of the job is “customer service” and you definitely have to be a people person.
The volunteer work at King is a great opportunity and Lloyd spends as much time at the station as she can, paying her dues.
King Fire & Emergency Services will be hosting an open house and information session on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Nobleton station on King Road, starting at 10 a.m.
For more information, or to pick up an application, please contact James Arnold. Deputy Fire Chief, at 905-833-2800. Applications are available at the King City station, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Applications will be accepted in person at Station 34 in King City until Friday, March 6 at 4:30 p.m.