聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 A primary care paramedic, who recently served as a lieutenant in a Manitoba fire department and was named the community鈥檚 firefighter of the year for 2015, began work on February 1 as Kamsack鈥檚 first director of protective services.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cody Langlois moved to Kamsack from Dauphin, Man. to work in the position, which was created by combining the duties of fire chief, bylaw enforcement officer and EMO (Emergency Measures Organization) co-ordinator.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Born and raised at Winnipegosis, Man., Langlois graduated from the Winnipegosis Collegiate Institute in 2005, but by then already had two years under his belt as a member of the Winnipegosis Fire Department. Shortly after graduation, he began working full time with the Winnipegosis District Ambulance as an emergency medical technician (EMT) while still a volunteer firefighter.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Langlois went to Regina where he attended a primary care paramedic course at SIAST, graduating in 2008 when he returned to Manitoba to work with the Parkland Regional Health Authority based in Dauphin and volunteered with the Dauphin Fire Department.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The ambulance, which employed 12 persons full time, responded to an average of 3,000 calls a year, while the 40-person fire department responded to about 250 calls a year, Langlois said last week from his office in the Kamsack Town Office building.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 like a challenge,鈥� Langlois said when asked why he chose to apply for the job in Kamsack. 鈥淚 wanted to advance, take on new responsibilities and enjoyed my leadership roles in the fire department and ambulance.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 see the job as an opportunity to grow.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Named the Dauphin firefighter of the year in 2015, Langlois is certified as a Level 2 firefighter, a Level 1 fire officer, a fire investigator and a hazardous materials operator and still has a 鈥渃asual鈥� relationship with the ambulance company he had worked with which is now an ambulance in the Prairie Mountain Health Region.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Serving as president of the Dauphin Firefighters Association, he helped the group raise nearly $50,000 for muscular dystrophy and has served as president and vice-president of the 115-year-old Dauphin Firefighters鈥� Ball, which recently raised nearly $8,000 for the firefighters鈥� organization.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A single father, Langlois said his four-year-old daughter is expected to be visiting with him in Kamsack on a regular basis.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 love this area,鈥� he said, adding that he is a hunter and fisherman.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he outdoors is a big passion of mine,鈥� he said, listing sledding and 鈥渜uading鈥� as favourite activities.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Langlois was captain and a defensive player with the Winnipegosis Midget Tigers hockey team when the team won the Manitoba provincial gold medal.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚n fact, we played Kamsack several times,鈥� he said of the Tigers team.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Asked about the firefighting facilities in Kamsack, Langlois said that 鈥渢hey did a beautiful job building the new fire hall.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 a gorgeous facility,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to be working in it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Admitting that some of the fire department鈥檚 apparatus is aged, he said he will be working with town council to replace those items over time and said that as a fire department improves its facilities and capabilities, it translates into less expensive insurance premiums for property owners.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He said he is looking forward to his first meeting with members of the fire department which was to have occurred yesterday (February 7).
