This year’s Firefighter of the Year at Ontario Fire and Rescue grew up in a firefighting family.
Trevor Gammage, 23, was honored at the agency’s awards ceremony in December. He spent much of his childhood at the Ontario fire station.
Christmases and birthday parties were held at the fire station when his dad would have to work, according to Gammage.
Gammage began his career at the fire department in 2017 as a junior firefighter, a program for teenagers to explore a career in firefighting. He said the staff at the fire department was his extended family.
“They aren’t just my dad’s coworkers,” Gammage said. “They’ve always been like my uncles.”
Gammage’s father, Jared, an Ontario captain, has been with the department for 30 years.
Fire Chief Clint Benson said Firefighter of the Year is a “coveted award” that goes to the crew member who has shown “outstanding dedication, bravery, and service” throughout the year.
The winner is selected by Benson, the previous year’s firefighter of the year and members of the Ontario Volunteer Firefighters Association. Benson handed out awards for rookie of the year and the firefighter who responded to the most fire calls.
Gammage, a volunteer at the department, has been a “great team member” who understands the “mutual respect, camaraderie and trustworthiness,” Benson said in presenting the award.
The firefighter has shown these attributes through “outstanding” attendance to fire and emergency calls and training. Gammage tied one other volunteer for top attendance at fire trainings. He works fulltime for a local fire extinguisher service company.
He said his goal is to become a full time, paid firefighter in Ontario. Gammage said he needs certifications as a. emergency medical technician and fire truck engineering to qualify to drive a fire engine. Gammage said he is working on both certifications.
Gammage has his hazard material certification, which qualifies him to respond to fires that involve dangerous materials and the ability to take appropriate precautions to protect his team and the public.
That certification allowed him to fill a key role on the fire crew that put out a November 2023 liquid natural gas fire at the Loves Travel Stop that put a gas truck driver in the hospital with third- and second-degree burns.
On his way to the blaze, Gammage said he heard his father, who was first on the scene, come on the radio telling the crews the fire’s size and strategy to put the blaze out.
“It does make you scared when you hear your family member talking about such a big, big fire,” he said.
He said as the engine got closer, he saw the fire “shooting flames into the sky like a flame thrower.”
Once the hazmat team arrived, Gammage said the crew’s training and teamwork kicked in. The crew’s quick action, which included turning off the gas valve and dousing the flames with a lot of water, averted a major explosion.
As a father, Jared said he was “blessed” that his son was working with the Ontario Fire and Rescue crew.
“As a firefighter, you just trust and love the guys you’re with,” he said.
He said watching Trevor accept the award at the ceremony dinner was a proud moment for him as a parent.
His son’s drive and consistent performance show him that he can step back and watch him grow in the profession.
“It feels like I can let him grow and move forward in his profession,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about him so much.”
Jared emphasized that his son has gotten to where he is at on his own and not because of his dad. Over the years, he said, he has expressed to his son the importance of learning from other firefighters.
“I support him in everything he does,” he said. “But he spends a lot of time and effort on his own. So, I’m very proud.”
The entire Gammage family is associated to the fire department in some capacity, he said.
His wife, Merri, has received an “outstanding service” award for her volunteer work with the fire department.
Gammage said the one advice he would offer someone wanting to become a firefighter is to ask for help.
“It’s hard to ask for help sometimes,” he said. “But asking for help is one of the best things you can do in the fire department.”
Fighting fire, Gammage said, is all about working with a team.
“If you’re trying to do something by yourself you can get yourself hurt,” he said. “You can get others hurt.”
Other award winners
Most fire calls: Francisco Barrera
Rookie of the year: Charlotte Rico
Most drills: Francisco Barrera and Trevor Gammage
Outstanding service
The fire department awarded Eddie Mendoza, Mark Saito, Jared Gammage, Tom Davis, Brule Lehman, Merri Gammage and Vince Rhoades for their contributions to the department.
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