Words Jamila Douhaibi
Photo Janis Jean
The Sidney Fire Hall has never had a traditional fire pole to slide down. Volunteer firefighter Robert Tyler has been with the Sidney Fire Department for 43 years and three different fire halls without one. The new hall now has a circular slide from the third floor but Robert says “I can come down the stairs quicker than the slide.”
When he started, Robert wore hip wader boots and a long trench coat. He is also the last firefighter to work on tailboard fire trucks, where the firefighters stood on the back of the truck holding onto a rail as it drove. Prior to starting with the department, Robert moved to Sidney in the mid-1970s and went to North Saanich Middle School and Stelly’s Secondary School shortly after the high school first opened. He went to culinary school at Malaspina College (now VIU) and was in the food service industry for 10 years. He now works at Medi-Van to transport patients around the Island. Outside of his busy work schedule, he raised two children with his wife, the couple having lived in the same home in Sidney for 33 years.
Robert has been a volunteer firefighter since he was 19. At a young age he already knew that it was important “to give back to the community.” He says he has also taught this to his children, both of whom have been firefighters with the Sidney Fire Department for five and 15 years respectively.
Not all of the memories of his time have been good ones. Robert says that “children are the hardest” because they can’t tell you what is wrong. But
Robert chooses to share the uplifting stories of saving families and driving unusual trucks. Over a decade ago he responded to a five-car pileup on the Pat Bay going towards the ferry terminal. A family of seven from Montreal had their van totalled in the accident and had no way to get off the highway. Robert quickly called his son at home; he had a van big enough to transport the family. They took them to Butchart Gardens until their rental vehicle arrived. Robert says he was surprised to receive letters from the family after this experience and says humbly that he just wanted to keep the family safe.
As a volunteer firefighter, Robert has served as a lieutenant and captain, chairperson and advisor with Muscular Dystrophy Canada, and executive director with the Vancouver Island Chapter. He says “these are just some of the things a person can take part in,” emphasizing that there is not a “better organization to have belonged to” for over 40 years. Another memory from fundraising during a Muscular Dystrophy #FillTheBoot drive was responding to a fire across the street. The crew took their antique 1934 Ford truck “Betsy” to the Home Hardware on Beacon Avenue to put out a fire that had started in the shrubs outside the store. Robert says that people had their mouths wide open because it was definitely not the “usual firetruck.” They also responded to a chimney fire on Resthaven once, and one of the firefighters realized it was his house.
As the “longest active firefighter” with the Sidney Fire Department, Robert has preserved the history and seen many changes. When he started, the role was fully volunteer, but now volunteers like his two children are paid to take 12-hour weekend shifts and backfill schedule gaps. This is outside of their regular jobs, and though the night shifts allow them to sleep, they have to be ready in “under three minutes” to get in the trucks and go.
Robert is retiring this year and says he is giving his notice this month but will continue to volunteer, only less frequently. Currently, he carries a pager that goes off for every call. He’s looking forward to slowing down but says “that’s the part I’m going to miss.” As a life-long firefighter who has spent most of his 50 years living in Sidney helping to support and save the community, he says that volunteers “take more away than they ever expect” and highly recommends people to give back because the “rewards are endless.”
Thank you for your amazing service, Robert Tyler!
