Jim Cisar has had a notable group presence within the village of Cowley for so long as most residents can keep in mind.
He’s concerned himself in virtually each group challenge or occasion and those that know him describe him as a person with an enormous coronary heart, at all times able to lend a serving to hand.
Jim spent many years volunteering for the Cowley Fireplace Division and retired from his place as hearth chief lately, on Dec. 31.
“He’s one man that’s going to be very effectively missed,” says firefighter Mike Squarek.
Jim was hearth chief when Mike began volunteering with the staff 5 years in the past and Mike says he quickly got here to know him as a educated and resourceful man who was revered throughout the division and favoured a hands-on fashion of educating. Mike has taken over Jim’s function since his retirement.
“He wasn’t one to only sit again and let you know what to do. He preferred to get in there and show you how to out and be part of it,” says Mike.
Apart from firefighting, Jim was a licensed pipefitter, a talent that proved to be a helpful asset — notably when doing upkeep on vehicles on the station. With out his steering, they'd by no means have constructed their very own water truck.
“You received’t see many vehicles arrange like that, and the truck was simply incredible on fires as a result of we may hit the opposite aspect of a coulee with it,” says Con Lynk, a former hearth chief.
Extra extensively throughout the village, Jim is thought for his altruism. On any given day, he might be discovered reducing grass at native church buildings, shovelling snow for his neighbours, flooding the group rink, and watering bushes and flowers.
He joined the Catastrophe Providers Committee, the place he helped create an emergency plan to guard the village within the occasion of a prepare derailment, and even had a stint on village council.
“If there’s something happening on the town, Jimmy’s concerned with it,” says Con.
Jim was the voice of motive on the scene of a fireplace or emergency, giving orders by the radio and dividing the crew into groups. On notably late nights, he virtually at all times confirmed up with espresso and treats.
He took on management duties in a pleasant neighbour-next-door type of method; Mike and deputy hearth chief Paul Watson reminisced concerning the time when Pincher Creek police escorted Jim off an emergency scene after mistaking him for an strange civilian.
Mike says he has a sense Jim shall be kicking across the hearth station for some time but, serving to out in an unofficial capability regardless of stepping down from his official function.
“He’s hanging across the corridor and at any time when we'd like a hand with issues, he’ll do the odd factor right here and there,” he says.
“Jimmy can’t sit nonetheless,” provides Con. “He can’t. It’s not in him.”