Oak Bay Fire Department Acting Lieutenant and Firefighter Greg Swan has received a service bar for his 15 years of service.
Congratulations A/Lt Greg Swan receiving his fifteen year service bar pic.twitter.com/KGmZX7t4wY
— OakBayFire (@OakBayFireDept) October 24, 2018
Swan, who joined the fire department on Oct. 16, 2003, notably received a Medford Fire-Rescue framed commendation in 2015 for saving the life of an 83-year-old driver who had crashed into a tree while he was off duty. The car burst into flames, trapping the driver inside.
Enveloped by heavy smoke, Swan used a fire extinguisher on the blaze before he attempted to free the victim with the help of bystanders. The fire flared up again, but after dousing it a second time, Swan was able to pull the victim from the vehicle and move him to safety.
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Earlier this year he also received a Governor General’s Medal of Bravery, recognizing his actions in the 2015 fiery crash.
“It was a very humbling experience,” Swan told Oak Bay News in March.
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As the president of the Oak Bay Firefighters Association Local 1856, Swan advocates for firefighter issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer presumption.
Swan is also the past president of the Oak Bay Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation, which has raised funds for school projects, bicycle repair stations and parks in the community.
The Oak Bay Fire Department honours members with service bars for every five years of continuous service.
– With files from Christine van Reeuwyk
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