Comox Mayor Paul Ives and fire chief Gord Schreiner were presented with Queen's Diamond Jubilee medals today by Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond and Comox Valley MLA Don McRae at a local fire safety event.

Ives was recognized not only for his civic service, but also his community involvement dating back 20 years. From his work as past-president of the Comox Rotary to his role as former chair of the Comox Recreation Commission, Ives has given generously of his time for the betterment of local citizens. He is in his second term as mayor and currently represents Comox on the Municipal Insurance Authority and sits on the North Island Sunshine Coast Regional Advisory Committee.

Schreiner was recognized for his nearly four decades worth of work for B.C. fire services. His tireless work as Comox fire chief and manager of the Comox fire training centre, and his leadership within the Fire Chiefs' Association of BC are commendable. His passion and knowledge of fire safety education and training are well documented and he continues to make huge contributions in the community with a smoke alarm campaign which raises awareness and saves lives.

Bond and McRae were joined at the event by Victoria fire chief Jeff Lambert, representing the Fire Chiefs' Association of BC, as well as local officials to reaffirm the provincewide campaign to have a working smoke alarm in every home in British Columbia. It's all part of the important B.C. initiative to reduce fire-related deaths and injuries.

Comox Fire Rescue has been one of the leaders in this campaign, assisting residents with smoke alarms for the past 20 years. Local firefighters go door to door offering to test and replace smoke alarms with the department currently giving out over 200 smoke alarms per year.

Bond, the president of the Fire Chiefs' Association and Surrey fire chief Len Garis, with support from the BC Office of the Fire Commissioner, launched the original provincewide campaign last March. Since then, almost 50 communities throughout B.C. have partnered with fire service personnel and local organizations in raising awareness about the importance of a working smoke alarm as well as testing and replacing those alarms if needed. This community-driven initiative continues to gain momentum as more communities and partners come on board.

Quotes:

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond -

"Today we are celebrating the best in community leadership. I am honoured to present the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal to two very deserving individuals, Mayor Paul Ives and fire chief Gord Schreiner. Their individual commitment to the community is remarkable."

"Thanks to their support of the provincewide smoke alarm campaign, we'll continue to move toward our goal of having a working smoke alarm in every home in B.C."

Comox Valley MLA Don McRae -

"As MLA for the Comox Valley, I'm thrilled to see two local citizens each being recognized with a Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal for their outstanding community service. Congratulations to Comox Mayor Paul Ives for his two decades of tremendous community and civic service and to Comox fire chief Gord Schreiner for almost 40 years of fire service."

Comox Mayor Paul Ives -

"I am deeply honoured and thrilled to receive the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal today. I feel very fortunate to serve as the mayor of this beautiful community and I share this award with all of our residents. It is equally gratifying to receive this award alongside our fire chief, Gord Schreiner. His leadership and commitment to fire safety in our community is very much appreciated."

Comox fire chief Gord Schreiner -

"It's a tremendous honour to receive the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal today. I've always believed that through education and training, we can all reduce fires and most importantly save lives. It's a privilege to serve as fire chief for Comox and see the great work our team and our partners have done in the community for fire safety."

Quick Facts:

• Data from the Office of the Fire Commissioner shows that in 11,000 residential fires in B.C. from 2006 to 2011, nearly 70 per cent of the fire scenes examined either had no smoke alarm or the smoke alarm was not working.

• Based on two decades of fire-related data, research also predicts that working smoke alarms could reduce annual fire deaths by as much as 32 per cent and save 76 lives across Canada each year.

• Research also shows that there is a greater risk of fire-related fatalities for households with young children, older adults or people with disabilities, as well as people who live in rental units, households in low-income areas, rural communities and First Nations reserves.

• The smoke alarm campaign has attracted partners including Kidde Canada, Black Press, Shaw Cable, B.C.'s Office of the Fire Commissioner, the Fire Chiefs' Association of BC, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the Insurance Brokers' Association of BC, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, Food Banks BC, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and others.

• The Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal is a tangible way to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country.

• The government of B.C., all MLAs and ministers are involved in awarding approximately 760 medals during the year and ensuring they reach as many deserving people in the province as possible.

Learn More:

To view a public service message created by the Fire Chiefs' Association of BC, go to: www.workingsmokealarms.ca

Information about the smoke alarm campaign is at: www.fcabc.ca

Contact:

Ministry of Justice
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-6961