Golf Course Helps Firefighter Relief Effort

The restaurant at the Northumberland Links Golf Course donated a large volume of food to the Pugwash Fire Department comfort station.

Without power, the restaurant knew the food would spoil and opted instead to put it to good use.

The fire department is one of a number of comfort centres around the county that is open 24 hours a day to serve people in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.

The initial plan was to offer hot tea and coffee while people charged their mobile devices or caught up on local news and updates on power outages.

A number of employees from the golf course kitchen staff donated their time to give some relief to firefighters who were particularly taxed at the height of the storm with some rather dramatic rescues and emotional calls.

As the word got out, more and more people showed up for breakfast sandwiches, then hot soups, and a variety of other options.

The fire hall is, itself, operating on a gas-powered generator as it is one of the areas of the community still without power.

The department’s chief, Andy Yarrow, is quoted as saying, “We’ll stay open until EMO tells us to stop, or until nobody comes in for 24 hours.”

The atmosphere at the department is very uplifting and has brought people of the community together.

The first all night shift brought two people in about 1:30 am. One firefighter said, “Helping them at that time of night made it all worthwhile.”

The photo shows two restaurant volunteers in the kitchen at the Pugwash Fire Department. Left to right: Deputy Chief Alex Mundle, Diane Stalls, Marilyn Love, and Chief Andy Yarrow. Absent from the photo, Jay Martin who was first to volunteer from the restaurant staff.

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