When Coquitlam's first fire department opened its doors in 1912, it was staffed by one person - part-time.
Const. Emeri Pare was given the task of dealing with the district's policing and fire needs at a time when infrastructure and mobility in the area were limited.
"He was the police chief and the fire chief," said today's Coquitlam assistant chief Scott MacKenzie. "He was the only guy."
Fast-forward 100 years and Coquitlam Fire Rescue has more than 150 paid professional members and 35 auxiliaries, not to mention a host of trucks and equipment not available to Pare in the municipality's early days.
On Sunday, the community will celebrate the department's centennial with a ceremonial presentation by Coquitlam Fire Rescue's honour guard at the city's Spirit Square (3000 Burlington Dr.). The event will be followed by a community barbecue.
For firefighters such as MacKenzie, this weekend's celebration will showcase to the public how the department has changed over the last century.
Little is known about how the fire and rescue operations worked in Pare's time but MacKenzie notes that unlike New Westminster or Vancouver, Coquitlam never had a major, city-wide fire during the municipality's early years.
In the 1940s, the first remnants of what would become the Coquitlam Volunteer Firemen's Association began to take shape and by 1968, the department was staffed with paid professionals.
MacKenzie notes that there have even been major changes to the department during the 32 years that he has worked in Coquitlam.
"The biggest change is how much we have grown," he said. "In 1980, when I came in, my group brought it up to about 90 paid firefighters. Today, we are approximately over 150."
MacKenzie said he hopes members of the community will join firefighters during this weekend's Spirit Square activities. On top of the ceremonial presentation and barbecue, there will be equipment demonstrations, face painting, interactive exhibits and a vintage fire truck will be on display.
"We are hoping that the citizens we serve and who we are available to assist on a 24/7 basis will join with us to celebrate our 100 years of service to this great city," Coquitlam Fire Chief Tony Delmonico said in a press release.
Sunday's activities will take place at Spirit Square between noon and 4 p.m.
