Sunday, March 3, the community of Bruno and the RM of Bayne celebrated the arrival of the town's new fire truck and the town honoured five of its citizens with the presentation of Diamond Jubilee medals.
The afternoon event kicked off with the official ribbon cutting and blessing of the 2012 fire truck.
"We took possession of the truck February 9," said fire chief Steve Bodnarchuk. "The old one that was bought in 1978 simply aged out."
Discussion and research with and by the Town of Bruno, RM of Bayne and the fire department resulted in the 2012 model that now sits in the town's fire hall.
"This one is equipped with four-wheel drive, has more storage and more capabilities than the old truck and the biggest change is CAFS," said Bodnarchuk.
The compressed air foam system extends the amount of water available to the firefighters by adding a mixture of air and soap solution to the water.
"We can go from the 400 gallons to 4,000 because of CAFS," Bodnarchuk noted.
Another feature of the new truck is the ability to pump and roll. The Chief explained how a firefighter can be safely tethered onto the back to operate a hose while the truck is in motion. This is a feature that will allow the crew to be more efficient when fighting grass fires.
The truck is fully customizable. There is room to add basic rescue equipment for dealing with motor vehicle accidents, but that is an avenue that is not being explored at the present time.
On average, the Bruno Fire Department responds to four or five fires and between six and eight accidents per year.
"There is a lot of buzz around the new truck," said Bodnarchuk.
Presently there are 10 active volunteer firefighters in the community.
"We are always looking for more," noted the chief.
With the official ribbon cutting complete, the celebration moved indoors to the warmth of the Bruno and District Community Centre.
The afternoon program emceed by Lorna Beaton, acting administrator for the Town of Bruno focused not only on the acquisition of the new fire truck but also recognized the many volunteers who contribute to the overall safety and well-being of the community through various groups and organizations.
Mayor Audrey Ludwig spoke briefly about the cooperative effort put forth by the Town of Bruno and the RM of Bayne to purchase the new truck for the fire department.
"I was a councillor when the old truck was purchased in 1978," she said. "We've come a long way in getting this new truck and I look forward to the town and RM continuing to work for the betterment of both."
The spotlight was then shone on five residents who were recognized for outstanding contributions to the Town of Bruno.
Humboldt Member of the Legislative Assembly Donna Harpauer presented each of the five deserving recipients with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal.
Audrey Ludwig, the present mayor of Bruno was noted for her ongoing service to the town since her student days at St. Ursula's. Not only has she filled a councillor chair for the town but also has worn the mantle of mayor for eight years. She also volunteers extensively with the seniors group.
Florence Pulvermacher's determination and drive was instrumental in the growth and development of health care facilities in the community. The establishment of the local assisted living home was helped by Pulvermacher's efforts.
She is also part of the committee that is spearheading the renovations at the Catholic Church in Bruno and during the spring and summer months can often be found tending to the flowers in the community's park.
One of the newest members of the town, Tyler Brett was recognized for his extensive work in the arts community. He and his wife have been instrumental in the creation of a local gallery along with a specialty cafe. Brett has also brought musicians from across Canada to play in Bruno and while many of them may not have heard of Bruno before arriving, it is a place they will not forget long after the last note has been played.
Accomplished painter and sports enthusiast Raymond Bender was recognized for his many contributions in the field of athletics. He has coached a variety of teams bringing home a number of national titles. He continues to help with the scheduling of ice time at the arena and has been known to take a turn or two making ice for the facility.
The final recipient of the day was Linda Batza who has dedicated many volunteer hours to various humanitarian causes. Noted during the presentation was her extensive work with Operation Christmas Child. Besides organizing collection drives she has also travelled to Nicaragua to distribute the shoe boxes to children in need. Closer to home, Batza ensures people who would be alone on Christmas Day are not, by sharing a meal and time with them. She is presently working on getting a fitness centre established in Bruno.
With all medals awarded, the microphone was handed over to Bodnarchuk who paid a special tribute to longtime Bruno volunteer firefighter Hank Honatzis, who recently passed away.
"Hank was key in getting the fire truck in 1978," said Bodnarchuk. "I think it's fitting he be mentioned today with the arrival of our new truck."
Each member of the Bruno Fire Department was called up on stage and recognized for their years of service to the department. The group included past and present members who have each achieved milestones for years of service ranging from five to 35 years.
"This is a very dedicated group of guys," said Bodnarchuk. "I would also like to thank their spouses, significant others and families for their support of the service this group provides to the community.
The First Responders were then called forward and recognized for their ongoing dedication. There was some overlap between the firefighters and first responders.
Rounding out the formal portion of the afternoon was the acknowledgement of the ambulance personnel in attendance.
Bodnarchuk noted the working relationship amongst the three groups is second to none, giving the residents of Bruno and the RM the security of knowing they are there when a crisis occurs.
The remainder of the afternoon was filled with entertainment put on by some very talented locals.
"I believe the event went reasonably well," said Beaton. "Although we tried not to miss recognizing anyone I am sure we did. But it was not intentional.
"It is very difficult to catch everyone as there are so many people who are working for the betterment of not only our community but also our country," she said.
Beaton was happy with the overall turnout at the event and was very pleased to have MLA Harpauer, Father Joe Ackerman, the reeve, the mayor and representatives from both councils in attendance.
