It might not be on any formal calendar but May 4th is International Firefighters' Day and, in Canton, the all-volunteer department was making that known.
“It’s a great day where we can all recognize the hard work and dedication of all our firefighters across the world,” said Paul Boutote, who joined the Canton department about 18 months ago. Boutote mentioned that during the coronavirus crisis, the challenges of this job have increased. “The biggest new challenge is making sure I’m keeping safe as well as my brothers and sisters (fellow firefighters).”
Canton firefighters
International Firefighters Day is also a chance for those in the their respective communities to take a minute to think about their local departments says Sylvia Cancela, who spent years as a member of the Canton Fire Department and now serves as their public relations director. “We can say thank you to our volunteer firefighters and EMT’s,” said Cancela, “they serve because of commitment and devotion and love of the community.” Boutote added, volunteers are always needed, “it really comes down to wanting to part of the community.”
To find out more about International Firefighters' Day click www.firefightersday.org