In North Bay, the Fire Department gave full honours on Thursday to a fallen retired captain.
Kerry Elliott passed away on December 27th after a battle with cancer. His passing is being considered a ‘line of duty’ death due to the nature of the disease and to the role that years of smoke exposure played in it.
It was a devastating loss to the community and to his former colleagues.
"It's a tough day. Kerry was a good friend and when it comes to firefighting, he was an advocate in the province for health and safety." said firefighter Mike Gillies.
In the last decade, the province has confirmed that firefighters are subject to higher cancer rates than the general public. For this reason, the fire department gave full honours to Elliott, including an escorted procession and a ringing of the last bell, and the presentation of a medal.
"He served the citizen of North Bay for over 30 years, responded to countless calls and one summer all those calls eventually caught up with Captain Elliott, and he's paid the ultimate sacrifice." said current Fire Chief, Jason Whiteley.
The Fire Chief says the safety of his people is his greatest priority but more has to be done to understand the health risk of a firefighter's job.
“It's always a balance of making sure that we have the best equipment, that we're employing the best tactics and that we have policies and procedures in place that are going to protect our people." said Whiteley.
The Chief says the department has been working diligently to ensure Captain Elliott gets the respect that he is due for making the ultimate sacrifice.
“Rest in peace Kerry. We're all going to miss you." said Gillies.
Those wishing to honour Elliott’s memory can consider a donation to the Nipissing Serenity Hospice.
