JGallagher
07-16-2004, 12:15 PM
I am new here so I am not sure if this was heard or not.
http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/maillist/archive.php?id=SecretList&issueID=153
Can. FF Killed - Responding
June 24, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey...
Another FF has been killed while responding. This occured in Canada (BC) on Sunday when the 19 y.o Firefighter Dustin Engel appears to have lost control of his jeep while responding. See below for additional.
Take care-BE CAREFUL...
Take Care,
BillyG
The Secret List 6-24-04
FIREFIGHTER KILLED
Local firefighters were battling grief as well as flames and Lake Cowichan Secondary School students are having to set aside their grief so they can write provincial exams after hearing about the death of a friend and classmate.
Sunday afternoon, Sahtlam firefighters were called to a cabin fire that had spread to nearby forest and threatened a larger area. Hearing the call, 19-year-old Dustin Engel hopped in his Jeep and headed to the hall.
Police don't know what happened next, but a Weyerhaeuser security officer discovered Engel's Jeep on Hillcrest Road and Engel's body a short distance away. It appears Engel lost control of the vehicle a few kilometers from Highway 18, rolled the Jeep and was thrown from it. He was rushed to Cowichan District Hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries.
Engel had been on the Sahtlam Fire Department just six months, but he'll be remembered.
"He's one of those energetic, young guys who made an impression," said Captain Josh Crawford. "He'd rather be out helping people and neighbours."
It was not unusual, said Crawford, to see Engel geared up and ready to go on training nights.
Fire Chief Mike Lees said it was incredibly difficult to tell his firefighters about the tragedy.
Most of the department was at the scene of a fire on Mayo Road when the dispatcher asked Lees to call as soon as he could.
When Lees learned what happened, he gathered the firefighters around the trucks after the fire was brought under control and told them about Engel's death.
"It's a terrible thing when a Chief has to tell his firefighters something like that," said Lees. A critical incident debriefing was held at the fire hall Monday morning to help Engel's fellow firefighters come to terms with his death.
According to the Chief, Engel was popular and well-known in the Sahtlam neighbourhood.
"He was a kid with a lot of spark and a lot of intelligence," said Lees. "He was very personable - the type of fellow who seemed to know everybody."
Besides volunteering as a firefighters and pursuing plans to attend the Fire Training Academy in Alberta so he could become a full-time firefighter, Engel had been a sea cadet, participated in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, was with Wilderness Watch and Forestry Wilderness in Lake Cowichan, played football and was on the rugby team at Lake Cowichan Secondary School.
A member of the class of 2004, Engel was presented with his diploma during graduation ceremonies June 5.
"He had just graduated a few weeks ago," said Lake Cowichan Secondary School Principal Dave Betts.
Regular classes ended last week but school officials brought in a counseling team to help Engel's friends and classmates.
"The majority aren't here today but the ones who are here are pretty upset," he said.
According to Betts, Engel was an outdoors person who played rugby, helped with the Search and Rescue class at school, was a teaching assistant to the Grade 8 class in the first part of the school year and loved four-wheel driving in his Jeep.
"It's a horrible way to end the end, made worse by the fact we lost a teacher to cancer in April," said Betts.
A counseling team was also brought into Cowichan Secondary School in Duncan where many of Engel's friends attend school.
"It struck the school pretty badly," said Principal Pat Duncan. "Many of our students knew Dustin from elementary and middle school."
Natasha Spencer, Engel's girlfriend, said she was so shocked by the news that at first it didn't sink in. In an interview with CH-TV, Spencer said it was only Monday morning that the realization of her boyfriend's death hit her like a ton of bricks.
Well-liked and deeply missed by his friends, Spencer said she's glad Engel didn't suffer.
Although regular classes and exams are over, several of Engel's classmates are scheduled to write their Provincial Exams this week. Betts said Provincials cannot be rescheduled so they will proceed as planned, however, students who are not able to write can register for a second sitting in Nanaimo in August.
"I'm encouraging everyone to write their exams now because if they're planning to attend university or college in September they need to have those marks," said Betts. "They really need to write now but if they can't do it, they can't do it."
Anyone who doesn't think they can write the exam this week should call the school no later than June 30 to arrange to write the exam during the August session.
North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP are continuing their investigation and have more questions than answers at this point.
"There's lots of rumors but at this point it's all speculation," said Cst. Jennifer Prunty. "All we've got now is a bunch of whys?"
Funeral arrangements are currently being made. Lees said he will be speaking to the family but has already contacted the B.C. Fire Commissioner's Office and the B.C. Firefighters Association about arrangements for a formal firefighter's funeral.
"Because he was on his way to the hall, he was in-service when he died," said Lees.
A Celebration of Life will be held at New Life Baptist Church, 1839 Tzouhalem Road, in Duncan Friday at noon.
http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/maillist/archive.php?id=SecretList&issueID=153
Can. FF Killed - Responding
June 24, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey...
Another FF has been killed while responding. This occured in Canada (BC) on Sunday when the 19 y.o Firefighter Dustin Engel appears to have lost control of his jeep while responding. See below for additional.
Take care-BE CAREFUL...
Take Care,
BillyG
The Secret List 6-24-04
FIREFIGHTER KILLED
Local firefighters were battling grief as well as flames and Lake Cowichan Secondary School students are having to set aside their grief so they can write provincial exams after hearing about the death of a friend and classmate.
Sunday afternoon, Sahtlam firefighters were called to a cabin fire that had spread to nearby forest and threatened a larger area. Hearing the call, 19-year-old Dustin Engel hopped in his Jeep and headed to the hall.
Police don't know what happened next, but a Weyerhaeuser security officer discovered Engel's Jeep on Hillcrest Road and Engel's body a short distance away. It appears Engel lost control of the vehicle a few kilometers from Highway 18, rolled the Jeep and was thrown from it. He was rushed to Cowichan District Hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries.
Engel had been on the Sahtlam Fire Department just six months, but he'll be remembered.
"He's one of those energetic, young guys who made an impression," said Captain Josh Crawford. "He'd rather be out helping people and neighbours."
It was not unusual, said Crawford, to see Engel geared up and ready to go on training nights.
Fire Chief Mike Lees said it was incredibly difficult to tell his firefighters about the tragedy.
Most of the department was at the scene of a fire on Mayo Road when the dispatcher asked Lees to call as soon as he could.
When Lees learned what happened, he gathered the firefighters around the trucks after the fire was brought under control and told them about Engel's death.
"It's a terrible thing when a Chief has to tell his firefighters something like that," said Lees. A critical incident debriefing was held at the fire hall Monday morning to help Engel's fellow firefighters come to terms with his death.
According to the Chief, Engel was popular and well-known in the Sahtlam neighbourhood.
"He was a kid with a lot of spark and a lot of intelligence," said Lees. "He was very personable - the type of fellow who seemed to know everybody."
Besides volunteering as a firefighters and pursuing plans to attend the Fire Training Academy in Alberta so he could become a full-time firefighter, Engel had been a sea cadet, participated in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, was with Wilderness Watch and Forestry Wilderness in Lake Cowichan, played football and was on the rugby team at Lake Cowichan Secondary School.
A member of the class of 2004, Engel was presented with his diploma during graduation ceremonies June 5.
"He had just graduated a few weeks ago," said Lake Cowichan Secondary School Principal Dave Betts.
Regular classes ended last week but school officials brought in a counseling team to help Engel's friends and classmates.
"The majority aren't here today but the ones who are here are pretty upset," he said.
According to Betts, Engel was an outdoors person who played rugby, helped with the Search and Rescue class at school, was a teaching assistant to the Grade 8 class in the first part of the school year and loved four-wheel driving in his Jeep.
"It's a horrible way to end the end, made worse by the fact we lost a teacher to cancer in April," said Betts.
A counseling team was also brought into Cowichan Secondary School in Duncan where many of Engel's friends attend school.
"It struck the school pretty badly," said Principal Pat Duncan. "Many of our students knew Dustin from elementary and middle school."
Natasha Spencer, Engel's girlfriend, said she was so shocked by the news that at first it didn't sink in. In an interview with CH-TV, Spencer said it was only Monday morning that the realization of her boyfriend's death hit her like a ton of bricks.
Well-liked and deeply missed by his friends, Spencer said she's glad Engel didn't suffer.
Although regular classes and exams are over, several of Engel's classmates are scheduled to write their Provincial Exams this week. Betts said Provincials cannot be rescheduled so they will proceed as planned, however, students who are not able to write can register for a second sitting in Nanaimo in August.
"I'm encouraging everyone to write their exams now because if they're planning to attend university or college in September they need to have those marks," said Betts. "They really need to write now but if they can't do it, they can't do it."
Anyone who doesn't think they can write the exam this week should call the school no later than June 30 to arrange to write the exam during the August session.
North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP are continuing their investigation and have more questions than answers at this point.
"There's lots of rumors but at this point it's all speculation," said Cst. Jennifer Prunty. "All we've got now is a bunch of whys?"
Funeral arrangements are currently being made. Lees said he will be speaking to the family but has already contacted the B.C. Fire Commissioner's Office and the B.C. Firefighters Association about arrangements for a formal firefighter's funeral.
"Because he was on his way to the hall, he was in-service when he died," said Lees.
A Celebration of Life will be held at New Life Baptist Church, 1839 Tzouhalem Road, in Duncan Friday at noon.