Rob Burk is stepping down as fire chief of the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department, but he plans to stay on as a member. Burk said the volunteer position didn’t leave him enough time for his personal life. (Richard McGuire photo)
After more than four years as chief of the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department, Rob Burk is stepping down.
“I was just so busy in my own life,” said Burk, who plans to remain an active firefighter. “It’s a lot of time commitment to be involved here as chief.”
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) recently advertised for someone else to fill the position, which pays a small honorarium, but Burk said the fire department has already voted for their own nomination, Kevin Burk, who is Burk’s brother.
Rob Burk said the RDOS still needs to advertise, despite the nomination, to see if anyone else applies. The decision on the appointment was to be made by the RDOS board after applications closed on June 26.
His brother, he said, is a retired RCMP officer and investigator who has worked on proceeds of crime, terrorism and some other major investigations.
Kevin Burk has also been a firefighter with the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department for about four years and lives on the mountain, Rob Burk said.
Rob Burk, now 46, knew since he was a child that he wanted to be a firefighter. Around the time he turned 19, he joined the fire department in Fort McMurray, Alta. as a professional firefighter.
He worked there for more than 18 years until the construction company he owned got too big and he found he couldn’t juggle both jobs. When he left Fort McMurray’s fire department, Burk was a lieutenant and acting captain.
He has lived on Anarchist Mountain for the past seven years, serving as a volunteer firefighter before being named chief.
Burk is candid about the toll that being fire chief has taken on his personal and family life, while at the same time he is proud of the accomplishments Anarchist Mountain Fire Department has made during his time as chief – something that he credits to both the firefighters themselves and the supportive community.
He admits he’s less enthusiastic about the administrative side than he is about handling fire calls.
Recently, Anarchist Mountain Fire Department has upgraded its qualifications, first doing vehicle extrications and more recently qualifying as first responders, he said.
“We have two satellite halls where we keep one truck at my location and one at the summit,” he said, noting that there are also vehicles for rescue and rapid response in bush areas on the mountain.
Although Burk moved here in 2007, after the major wildfire of 2003, he has handled other serious fires and motor vehicle accidents during his time here.
These include a structural fire in which a firefighter lost his home as well as a major wildfire last year.
“We get bushfires every year,” said Burk. “It’s just how fast we get there to knock it down. We’ve been very successful because we’ve got members stationed all over the hill.”
Burk said the community has been very supportive, holding an annual barbecue that fundraises between $5,000 and $6,000 a year for the fire department.
“Support for the fire department in this community is huge compared to many others,” he said, noting that many larger communities of 3,000 to 4,000 people have trouble getting 20 volunteers, while Anarchist Mountain, with a population not much over 100, has about 24 members.
Burk praises the members, pointing out that the first responder course was 80 hours and firefighters also train two or three times a month and donate additional time for a variety of tasks.
He singles out deputy chief Gloria Richardson for special praise for her hard work and notes that she will be filling in as chief until the new chief is appointed.
“The community really needs to thank the members because it’s those guys that keep their insurance rates at what they are,” he said.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
