Four local firefighters have doffed their shirts for charity.
Coquitlam Fire and Rescue's Greg Hankinson (Mr. 2015), Port Coquitlam Fire's Rod Dimsdale (Mr. February) - along with Bryce Wittal (Mr. May) of the Burnaby department and Warren Gardner (Mr. December) of Vancouver Fire, both of whom reside in Coquitlam - are in the 2014 Hall of Flame calendar.
The calendar will be launched Sept. 7 and will be for sale at London Drugs, Save-on Foods and PriceSmart stores; it will also be available for purchase online at vancouverfirefighters.ca.
Gardner told The Tri-City News it's his first time taking part in the calendar. He agreed to pose "after a few friendly jabs from my crew telling me to do it."
"I figured it was a good way to give back and volunteer," Gardner said, adding, "The Vancouver Firefighters' Charitable Society is a big part of our job and this is a fun way of raising money for some great causes."
The one-year firefighter said he wasn't able to get in shape as much as he would have liked for the photo shoot because of an injury but "I did try to limit myself to one heaping plate at the hall meals, though."
Started 27 years ago, the Hall of Flame calendar raises money for the BC Professional Firefighters Burn Fund, the CKNW Orphans Fund and other charities supported by the VFCS.
In the last five years, the calendar has generated about $200,000 for the causes.
