More than 80 former and current firefighters recently gathered at Fire Hall No. 1 on Village Gate Boulevard to mark the 30th anniversary of the longest serving municipal building in Whistler.

The milestone was also marked with a few stories from the past and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque with the names and years of service of each fire chief that served Whistler during the past three decades.

A lot has changed at the Fire Hall No. 1 in the past 30 years, inside and out. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Fire Hall No. 1 took place in May 1980 and Whistler Village has literally grown up and around the building.

“A lot has changed in 30 years. There's been numerous updates in technology over the years and new equipment has helped modify our current response protocol,” said Rob Whitton, Resort Municipality of Whistler fire chief.

The Fire Hall No. 1 anniversary marks a milestone for a relatively young fire department. It started in 1962 with a few hoses and a forestry pump after the summer community at Alta Lake recognized a need for fire protection in the valley. Whistler's fire department also started as a mixture of ski bums, cabin dwellers and others who simply loved Whistler.

“Over the last three decades, those volunteers have played an important part in terms of fire safety in Whistler. During these changes, two individuals have been instrumental in the department’s development. Assistant Chief Geoff Playfair was the first career firefighter hired by the department in 1989 and Assistant Chief Sheila Kirkwood was the first female career firefighter hired in the province of British Columbia in 1990.

“The Whistler Fire Department began in 1981 and over the years has made some leaps and bounds in its development,” Whitton said. “We have come from a department of humble beginnings and have adapted to one that uses updated equipment and tactics.”

The fire department’s first out truck, a.k.a “quint,” is one such piece of equipment. The fire truck includes a 75-foot aerial ladder, fire hose and ground ladders stowed on board. According to Whitton, the quint allows Whistler’s firefighters to fight both structure fires as well as create an elevated master stream of water in the event a forest fire situation develops as a result of the structure fire.

“The department itself has grown over the years. Currently we have 21 unionized career firefighters and 60 paid on-call staff. We have 10,000 full-time residents but on any given day we can have as many as 30,000 people in the resort that we need to be ready for,” said Whitton.

Fighting fires is just part of the role of the Whistler Fire Rescue Services (WFRS). The department is also dedicated to promoting fire and life safety in Whistler through public education, property inspections and emergency preparedness.

“Fighting fires is probably three to five per cent of what our work entails,” Whitton said. “We are also responsible for fire and safety inspections of all businesses and public buildings and we work closely with other municipal departments to ensure overall public safety during Whistler’s many events and festivals.”

Whistler’s firefighters are also in local schools and daycares, making sure Whistler’s youngest residents learn about fire safety. Public education is just the beginning. The department also assists with FireSmart initiatives, motor vehicle incident response, illegal construction, wildfire urban interface protection and still-water and high-angle rope rescues

Whistler’s fire department is also responsible for emergency management for the RMOW with the fire chief serving as area coordinator. The fire department has created extensive plans in the event of a community emergency.

For Whitton and the rest of Whistler’s fire department, it’s all in a days work.