Volunteer firefighters comprise up to 85 per cent of the firefighting services across Canada. Like all firefighters, they are asked to make the ultimate sacrifice: potentially giving their own life to save another. Other sacrifices are made on a daily basis – time spent away from family, missed birthday parties, work commitments, meals and sleep, to name a few. When the pager goes off, volunteer firefighters respond expeditiously.
Being a firefighter is not something one does, it’s part of who we are.
Sunshine Coast resident Bill Elsner has been making these sacrifices for nearly 30 years. His life story is unique and compelling.
Canadian adventure
Elsner’s Canadian adventure began when he left his home in America in 1972. He headed to Alaska but eventually found himself working on the B.C./Yukon border. While on a flight in a small plane, he spotted a lake with some favourable land and asked the pilot to drop him off right there. He set about clearing a small piece of land, utilizing the trees he cleared to build his home, just as early pioneers did.
During those first eight years in the wilderness, Elsner spent his time trapping, prospecting, cutting wood, fetching water, and reading. His only company during those years were his four dogs and two horses.
This all changed during one of his fortnightly journeys into the mining town of Cassiar to get supplies. This was a tough 28-mile journey, the first half of which could only be done by dog sled. But it was worth it, as it was here that he first met Jeanie.
“The first time I saw Jeanie was at the bar, she was a waitress. She was holding four beers on a tray with one hand, and she calmly stepped over the two men fighting on the floor without spilling a drop,” Elsner said.
It was not long before Jeanie and her two sons joined Elsner in the wilderness. They married under the stars on a frozen lake on March 1, 1980. Their family grew with the addition of another boy. Every day, Elsner would take the boys to school on the dog sled.
After a brief hiatus in the U.S, the family returned to Canada, settling in Telkwa. It was there, in 1992, that Elsner’s journey as a volunteer firefighter began. He remained at the station for six years and during this time, he became involved with critical incident stress management (CISM), intended to minimize the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on first responders.
In 1998, the family moved to Smithers where he continued to volunteer as a firefighter. There were a high number of incidents to respond to: car fires and accidents, dumpster, structure and forest fires, flooding, and frequent calls to rescue individuals pursuing risky adventures in the area.
Emergency coordinator
At the Smithers fire department Elsner took on the complex, demanding role as volunteer emergency coordinator for the region. His tasks included managing and coordinating all of the emergency services and stakeholders during large incidents (land or rock slides, avalanches, floods, earthquakes and forest fires, to name a few).
Each time, he would be separated from his family for up to two weeks at a time while serving long 18-hour days.
In 2005, Elsner took a formal position on the Sunshine Coast as the emergency planning coordinator. This full-time position, which he held until 2018, improved the state of the existing programs and finally brought about an all-inclusive, all-agency approach to emergency planning for the entire Sunshine Coast. But Bill being Bill, he would also join the ranks of the Sechelt Volunteer Fire Department.
According to Sechelt Fire Chief Trevor Pike, Elsner made an immediate impact on the department. His experience, knowledge and personable nature quickly garnered the respect of all members. He was eager to teach and mentor other members at every level of experience. He spent many years improving his fellow firefighters’ medical response skillsets. He was essential in establishing the first Coast-wide CISM team.
Elsner also played a key role in establishing the first formal occupational health and safety committee for the department and now sits on the board of trustees for the Sechelt Fire Protection District where his overall experience and knowledge are helping shape the future of the department.
“Next year, Bill will have accumulated 30 years of service between three different departments,” Pike noted. “Each of the communities he has served in has benefited greatly from his commitment and dedication to public safety. Bill is one of a kind!”
Elsner’s sacrifice over the past 30 years could not have been possible without the love, support and reciprocal sacrifice of his loving wife Jeanie and their family. It was Jeanie’s strength and commitment to Elsner and his volunteer work that enabled him to be such an asset to the communities he has served.
Elsner has recently taken a step back from his active role as a firefighter for family responsibilities, but will continue on the board of trustees for the fire district.
We will all miss Bill around the hall and I, for one, am thankful to have served alongside such a great firefighter.
I am most thankful for his friendship.
