Chris Harrow | Minto, ON

“We're at a point in the fire service where we have to change. We have to be ready to adapt to the environment we're in.”

What initially inspired you to join the fire service?

Chris Harrow was raised in a traditional firefighting family. With a father in the fire service, he grew up in a fire hall, experiencing a life where helping your community was encouraged and valued. Harrow, himself, then followed that path. He was a paramedic for 13 years and a volunteer firefighter at the same time. He worked his way up, eventually becoming a fulltime fire chief. Just as his father was a role model for him, Chief Harrow has two sons who are growing up in the same environment. And they are both interested in joining the firefighting profession.

Chief Harrow tells us that it is tougher today to become a firefighter, that it is not sufficient to show up at work and be good at the job; today, training is more extensive, and people are not accepted into the field as easily as they once were.

What message would you like to share with others in the fire service?

Chief Harrow believes in both the power of tradition and the necessity of change. He encourages new fire chiefs to be ready for change and he points out that traditions sometimes impede progress. The fire service must respect the old ways while adapting to the needs of the current environment and to the mindset of the present generation.

For example, Chris shares with us that an increase in severe storms and significant flooding is making Emergency Management a huge part of fire services in Canada, especially relating to the volunteer firefighters. In weather emergencies, smaller and mid-sized towns turn to their fire departments for help. This can be problematic when the focus has traditionally been on fires and medical rescue responses; fire departments are often not equipped or ready to respond to these challenges.  

Chief Harrow also shares his views about the bureaucracy of running a firehouse. As chief, he is responsible for two departments and 120 firefighters.  He tells us that he doesn’t respond to many calls anymore; his role is to keep things running smoothly, to make sure that the insurance is updated, and to manage the paperwork. This way, his volunteers are not bogged down with the administrative side of things, and they can complete their training, respond to calls, and do their jobs.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Family is important to Chief Chris Harrow, and he enjoys spending time with his wife and his children. He loves to go and watch his boys play baseball, and he himself plays baseball and hockey.

Community is also important to Chris, and he is active in many local functions and activities. He and his wife are chairing a homecoming for their small town, and they are involved in various foundations, as well.

What changes do you see in the fire service over the next five years? 

Chief Harrow believes that fire departments will have to offer more services to their communities; they will need to find ways to do more with less.  He explains what happens when a community calls for help:

“We are called out to perform many different services, but we're not necessarily trained or certified.”

Firefighters cannot be expected to be trained in all areas, and equipment has become incredibly expensive. By sharing resources with other communities, fire services can offer more, and they will then be able to cover a wider array of specialized services.

Would you like to end this article with a personal story?

Chief Harrow tells us that 12 years ago, he was involved in a fire in a neighboring community where two firefighters lost their lives.

“Twelve years ago, mental health and critical incident stress wasn't in the forefront. At the time, we knew we had to do a debriefing for firefighters, but we had no idea who to call. The first group of people to debrief us almost left the room crying. They didn't know how to deal with firefighters because the way we look at things is different, we talk differently, and we have a dark humor. During the second go round, we had people who could actually understood us, and then it went well.”

Chief Harrow continues his story:

“We've learned a lot since then. Whether it's cancer in the fire service, or it’s going through that incident like we did, it's about the mental health aspect of it. Now, we really try to do more for firefighters and to look out for them. We learned to talk.”

Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you do want to add to this article?

Chief Harrow believes that we need to continue to adapt to challenges, to learn and to change, to be willing to accept help, and to collaborate with other agencies.

He believes that firefighting is a tremendous profession.  Specifically in North America, he reminds us that we are fortunate to be served and protected by people who are dedicated to their community and are willing to volunteer their time. His number one goal is to take care of these people. He tells us:

“It is a pretty unique thing, and we’re very, very lucky.”