Battleford Fire Chief Gabruch honoured for 40 years service

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Gabruch, who first joined the department as a teenager back in 1981, said the comradery that comes with firefighting played a role in why he first got involved in the industry – and remains to this day – a vital piece of what it means to serve.

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“The great thing about fire departments is you usually get some of the community’s best people who want to serve in an organization like that,” he said. “Over time that comradery becomes contagious and it almost becomes a [family]. That often is what keeps an individual as dedicated in serving.”

Perhaps no one at the fire department has worked more closely alongside Gabruch over the last four decades than Deputy Fire Chief, Geoff Thompson. Thompson started at the local fire hall just a year after Gabruch, spending the last 39 years alongside him on the department staff.

Thompson said he couldn’t say enough about the impact Gabruch has had over the years, both as a friend and leader amongst the crew, who sets the tone.

“He’s served diligently the whole time, and if there’s a call, he’s just right on it,” Thompson said. “He really does his job from the heart. A fire chief doesn’t necessarily have to be the first one out the door to get to the hall, but Larry is typically one of the very first at the hall and responds to the calls a lot of times before the other members even get here.”

Battleford Mayor, Ames Leslie said Gabruch’s impact has been far-reaching in the community, both within the department directly, as well as outside its four walls, and personally.

“To have the leadership and the dedication of Larry Gabruch to the town for the last 40 years is tremendous,” Leslie said. “As a firefighter myself, he’s been a very strong mentor of mine over the last 20 years that I’ve been on the fire department, and as Mayor and council we couldn’t ask for a better leader for our fire department.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1