OcTOBER
      12,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Why
      Become
      a
      Firefighter?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lorie
      O’Halloran
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      O’Halloran
      is
      a
      student
      in
      the
     
     
      journalism
      program
      at
      Holland
     
     
      College..
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Community
      involvement,
      a
      sense
      of
     
     
      belonging
      and
      giving
      back
      to
      the
     
     
      community
      are
      reasons
      to
      become
      a
     
     
      volunteer
      firefighter,
      says
     
     
      Charlottetown’s
      fire
      chief.
     
    

    
     
      Bill
      Hogan
      said
      the
      department
      is
     
     
      accepting
      applications
      to
      fill
      future
     
     
      volunteer
      firefighter
      positions.
     
    

    
     
      It
      takes
      a
      special
      person
      to
      be
      a
     
     
      volunteer
      firefighter.
      They
      have
      to
     
     
      have
      a
      desire
      to
      do
      something
     
     
      important
      for
      the
      city,
      said
      Hogan.
     
     
      “Someone
      with
      courage,
      dedication,
     
     
      who
      isn’t
      afraid
      of
      hard
      work
      and
      is
     
     
      willing
      to
      accept
      the
      challenge
      of
      a
     
     
      difficult
      job.”
     
    

    
     
      With
      76
      volunteer
      membets
      on
      staff,
     
     
      Hogan
      said
      they
      are
      not
      short
      at
      the
     
     
      present
      time,
      but
      wants
      to
      build
      up
     
     
      the
      list
      of
      possible
      candidates.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      refresh
      our
      list
      every
      year.”
     
     
      Hogan
      said
      over
      the
      course
      of
      a
      year
     
     
      the
      department
      has
      experienced
     
     
      volunteers
      leaving
      to
      go
      west
      and
     
     
      some
      who
      decided
      they’ve
      given
     
     
      enough
      over
      the
      years
      and
      retired.
     
     
      “We
      usually
      fill,
      from
      that
      list,
      at
     
     
      least
      two
      to
      three
      positions
      a
      year.”
     
     
      Rebecca
      MacLeod
      of
      Charlottetown
     
     
      said
      for
      her
      there
      is
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      satisfaction
      in
      knowing
      you're
      giving
     
     
      something
      back
      to
      the
      community.
     
     
      MacLeod
      recently
      joined
      the
     
     
      volunteer
      department
      and
      described
     
     
      the
      training
      process
      as
      rigorous.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “There
      was
      a
      lot
      of
      book
      work
      plus
     
     
      field
      training
      of
      two
      full
      weekends
     
     
      where
      you
      tested
      what
      you
      learned
     
     
      from
      the
      book.”
     
    

    
     
      Joining
      the
      department
      as
      a
     
     
      volunteer
      firefighter
      is
      not
      something
     
     
      to
      be
      taken
      lightly,
      she
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “Tt’s
      a
      lot
      of
      work
      to
      get
      through
      a
     
     
      course,
      it’s
      not
      something
      you
      can
     
     
      breeze
      through.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      training
      required
      to
      be
      a
     
     
      volunteer
      is
      not
      a
      one-shot
      deal,
      said
     
     
      MacLeod.
      “We
      train
      all
      year
      round.”
     
     
      All
      training
      costs
      are
      paid
      by
      the
     
     
      department
      with
      the
      initial
      cost
      of
     
     
      medical,
      criminal
      and
      driving
      records
     
     
      paid
      by
      the
      applicant,
      said
      Hogan.
     
     
      “We
      do
      reimburse
      them
      afterwards
      if
     
     
      they
      are
      accepted.”
     
    

    
     
      Once
      on
      staff,
      the
      department
     
     
      provides
      life,
      disability
      and
      illness
     
     
      insurance
      at
      no
      cost
      to
      the
      volunteer
     
     
      and
      it
      also
      provides
      uniforms,
     
     
      protective
      clothing
      and
      an
      annual
     
     
      honorarium,
      he
      said.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      costs
      after
      that
      is
      their
      time.”
     
     
      The
      city
      is
      divided
      into
      two
      response
     
     
      districts,
      one
      and
      two.
      To
      become
      a
     
     
      volunteer
      a
      person
      must
      live
      in
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      districts,
      said
      Hogan.
      If
      the
     
     
      volunteer
      lives
      in
      district
      one
      they
     
     
      would
      be
      assigned
      to
      that
      district.
     
     
      “That’s
      so
      we
      can
      have
      those
      fast
     
     
      response
      times.”
     
    

    
     
      Application
      packages
      can
      be
      picked
     
     
      up
      at
      the
      business
      office
      of
      the
     
     
      Charlottetown
      Fire
      Department,
     
     
      located
      at
      89
      Kent
      St.
     
    

    
     
      The
      closing
      date
      for
      applications
      is
     
     
      Friday,
      Oct.
      29.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      THE
      CADRE
      @
      14
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Book
      Review:Invisible
      Monster
      oy
      Chuack
     
     
      Palahuik
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stacey
      Murray
     
     
      Advertising
      Manager
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Book
      Review:Invisible
      Monsters
      by
     
     
      Chuck
      Palahiuk
     
     
      Stacey
      Murray
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chuck
      Palahniuk,
      author
      of
      Fight
     
     
      Club,
      writes
      another
      brain
      teaser
     
     
      with
      his
      novel
      Invisible
      Monsters.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      story
      begins
      when
      a
      woman
      on
     
     
      her
      to
      way
      fame
      and
      fortune
      is
      a
     
     
      victim
      of
      a
      drive
      by
      shooting.
      The
     
     
      accident
      leaves
      her
      disfigured
      and
     
     
      forces
      her
      to
      wear
      a
      veil,
      and
      she
     
     
      realises
      she’s
      no
      longer
      the
      centre
      of
     
     
      attention.
      To
      prove
      the
      point,
      she
     
     
      goes
      by
      aliases
      such
      as
      Daisy
      St.
     
     
      Patience
      and
      Bubba
      in
      an
      attempt
      to
     
     
      be
      invisible.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      During
      the
      course
      of
      the
      novel,
     
     
      Daisy
      travels
      across
      North
      America
     
     
      with
      Princess
      Brandy
      Alexander,
     
     
      who
      was
      formerly
      a
      man,
      and
      her
      ex-
     
     
      boyfriend
      Manus,
      a
      sexually-
     
     
      confused
      former
      cop.
      To
      pass
      the
     
     
      time,
      they
      steal
      medication
      from
     
     
      senior
      citizens
      who
      are
      selling
      their
     
     
      homes
      to
      help
      fulfill
      their
      drug
     
     
      addictions
      and
      for
      trafficing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      purposes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      three
      set
      out
      on
      their
      mission
     
     
      for
      different
      reasons,
      but
      all
      find
      the
     
     
      answers
      they
      were
      looking
      for.
     
     
      Manus
      is
      Daisy’s
      hostage
      after
      he
     
     
      nearly
      killed
      her.
      Brandy
      is
      pondering
     
    
   
   
    
     
      whether
      to
      take
      the
      final
      step
      to
     
     
      becoming
      a
      woman,
      when
      all
      she
     
     
      wanted
      was
      to
      be
      as
      beautiful
      as
      her
     
     
      sister.
      And
      Daisy
      is
      running
      from
      her
     
     
      life
      and
      her
      family,
      who
      haven’t
      heen
     
     
      the
      same
      since
      her
      brother
      died
      of
     
     
      AIDS.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      While
      the
      book
      can
      be
      confusing
      and
     
     
      highly
      unrealistic
      at
      points,
      it
     
     
      demonstrates
      the
      confusion
      she
      is
     
     
      going
      through.
      The
      novel
      had
      more
     
     
      twists
      and
      turns
      than
      a
      winding
     
     
      country
      road.
      The
      aliases
      are
      meant
     
     
      to
      throw
      the
      reader
      off,
      but
      when
      the
     
     
      web
      of
      secrets
      begins
      to
      unravel,
      so
     
     
      does
      the
      veil
      Daisy
      wears
      to
      hide
     
     
      from
      her
      past.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      book
      also
      has
      a
      lot
      of
      dark
     
     
      humour.
      As
      one
      example,
      Daisy
     
     
      secretly
      feeds
      Manus
      female
      drug
     
     
      hormones
      that
      alter
      his
      body
      and
     
     
      mind
      into
      a
      sappy,
      overweight
      male
     
     
      to
      get
      back
      at
      him
      for
      cheating
      on
     
     
      her.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      theme
      of
      the
      book
      is
      doing
     
     
      exactly
      what
      you
      don’t
      want
      to
      do,
     
     
      or
      what
      you’ve
      been
      taught
      is
      wrong,
     
     
      to
      find
      freedom
      from
      the
      ties
      of
     
     
      society.
      I
      think
      it
      definitely
      delivers
     
     
      on
      the
      theme
      throughout
      the
      story,
     
     
      and
      the
      ending
      drives
      the
      point
     
     
      home.
      If
      you’re
      looking
      for
      a
      book
     
     
      that
      will
      keep
      you
      guessing,
      this
      is
      it.