Kindersley Firefighter Cody Phinney
Hi, I’m Cody Phinney with the Kindersley Fire Department.
What inspired you to become a firefighter?
My mom was actually on the Kindersley fire department for many years when I was a kid and that definitely had an influence on me. I still think to myself how cool it is that my mom is a former firefighter. Still to this day, she tells people how rewarding it feels. I spent my early adulthood life with the desire to join stuck in the back of my mind, but never felt like there was a good time to do it. I was held up thinking about everything going on, my job, relationships, etc. My wife Jenna was tired of hearing me make excuses and gave me the final push I needed to sign up.
What is your most memorable moment:
Definitely the Marengo elevator fire from last year. We had just returned back to scene after temporary evacuation due to a propane tank explosion risk and had parked our truck on the south side of the fire. We were running around getting hoses laid and ready to get back into action again. I had about two seconds with nothing to do, and I remember looking around watching burning debris falling from the sky and landing every where around us. It was for sure the most surreal moment of my life, and I remember thinking to myself, “what the heck are you doing here?! Run!”
What are some challenges facing fire services today?
One of the biggest issues facing volunteer departments today, in my opinion, is the volunteers themselves. It can be difficult sometimes to have enough members, or even enough members responding to calls. This is mostly due to the fact that everyone has things going on in their lives outside the department and cannot make it to every single call. Most people have kids, spouses, hobbies and jobs. I am fortunate enough to be employed by a great company that enables and supports me to help serve my community and the people who live in it whenever possible. And of course, I have to mention my wife, my kids and my extended family members. Without them and their support, I wouldn’t be able to do this at all. So huge shout out to them and everyone else supporting me and other fire department members everywhere.
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