Tara Fehr approached her interview with a smile and a sweeping statement: “I feel this department has given me so much more than I could ever give back.”
Fehr and her husband moved to Niverville in 2006. While being a stay-at-home mom of three boys, she completed an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course and joined the volunteer firefighters.
“Getting my pager on my birthday was the most exciting gift I ever received,” Fehr says.
True to the “two in, two out” rule, training and testing for Level I are always done with a partner. In September 2014, Fehr was one of nine who acquired their Level I firefighter status.
“It was an awesome experience to graduate with eight others. It’s the best family you could want to be in.” Fehr and two others took their paramedic course together and graduated in June. She will begin working for Southern Health this fall.
Fehr believes family support is essential for anyone who wants to become a volunteer firefighter. Apart from pager calls at all hours, the time commitment for a paramedic firefighter is considerable, including biweekly meetings and training, and another monthly meeting for EMR personnel.
Niverville has three EMR platoons that rotate for maintenance checks of equipment. They also check medical supplies, expiry dates, inventory, etc.
Maintaining physical fitness is paramount and especially key for someone like Tara who is only five-foot-three. The same practical tests are applied to men and women.
“It’s not about the individual, though,” Fehr says. “It’s team effort, team environment, having each other’s back, helping each other out. As one of five women in the department, I have experienced nothing but respect and support.”
Fehr has profound respect for her leaders, colleagues, and the people they help, especially their privacy (which can be particularly difficult in a small town where everyone seems to know everyone).
When asked what she feels when approaching a critical accident scene, she replies, “A definite sense of calmness.”
She recalls a time when she was in Winnipeg as a young adult and an ambulance sped by with its siren wailing. “I felt an urgent desire to be on that ambulance. There’s a saying about this work, that you don’t choose it, it chooses you. I think there’s some truth to that.”
Let the Battle Begin: Introducing the Niverville Pizza Wars
May 03, 2024 | 9:34 am
The Niverville Pizza Wars are set to take place May 3–10. The Niverville Chamber of Commerce has welcomed all pizzerias and restaurants in Niverville to compete in the friendly one-week...
Read moreThe Niverville Pizza Wars are set to take place May 3–10. The Niverville Chamber of Commerce has welcomed all pizzerias and restaurants in Niverville to compete in the friendly one-week...
Read moreDentist Opt-In Low for New Federal Dental Care Plan
May 02, 2024 | 2:23 pm
In December 2023, the federal government began rolling out a new publicly funded dental care plan, intended to make oral healthcare more accessible to lower income earners across the country. So...
Read moreIn December 2023, the federal government began rolling out a new publicly funded dental care plan, intended to make oral healthcare more accessible to lower income earners across the country. So...
Read moreSummer Street Repairs Soon Underway in Niverville
May 01, 2024 | 6:37 pm
It wouldn’t be summer in Manitoba without street construction crews redirecting traffic or slowing down the daily commute. At least one major repair and a variety of minor repairs are planned for...
Read moreIt wouldn’t be summer in Manitoba without street construction crews redirecting traffic or slowing down the daily commute. At least one major repair and a variety of minor repairs are planned for...
Read moreTim’s Smile Cookie Campaign to Boost Mobility Van Project
May 01, 2024 | 4:54 pm
From April 29 until May 5, Tim Hortons is running their annual Smile Cookie fundraiser. This year, the Niverville location at 20 Drovers Run is raising money to aid in the purchase of two new...
Read moreFrom April 29 until May 5, Tim Hortons is running their annual Smile Cookie fundraiser. This year, the Niverville location at 20 Drovers Run is raising money to aid in the purchase of two new...
Read moreTalk to the Tail Opens Expansive New Facility
May 01, 2024 | 1:12 pm
Talk to the Tail, a dog daycare facility in Niverville, is about to expand to a second location. The 5,000-square-foot building at 455 Wittick Street, in the Niverville Industrial Park, has been...
Read moreTalk to the Tail, a dog daycare facility in Niverville, is about to expand to a second location. The 5,000-square-foot building at 455 Wittick Street, in the Niverville Industrial Park, has been...
Read moreHSD Trustees Face Scrutiny Following New Discrimination Allegations
Apr 30, 2024 | 4:41 pm
For the second time since 2016, the Hanover School Division’s (HSD) trustees are under fire over accusations of discrimination. In both of the cases, the concerns revolve around the division’s...
Read moreFor the second time since 2016, the Hanover School Division’s (HSD) trustees are under fire over accusations of discrimination. In both of the cases, the concerns revolve around the division’s...
Read moreNiverville High School Gets New Principal
Apr 29, 2024 | 1:29 pm
Beginning in September, the Niverville High School (NHS) will have a new face behind the principal’s desk. Paul Grosskopf has been appointed to the position, replacing Kimberley Funk. Grosskopf...
Read moreBeginning in September, the Niverville High School (NHS) will have a new face behind the principal’s desk. Paul Grosskopf has been appointed to the position, replacing Kimberley Funk. Grosskopf...
Read moreProvince Extends to Citizens the Right to Homegrown Cannabis
Apr 26, 2024 | 3:28 pm
For the first time since cannabis was legalized in 2018, adult recreational users in Manitoba will have the green light to grow their own plants for personal use. “Manitoba will now align with...
Read moreFor the first time since cannabis was legalized in 2018, adult recreational users in Manitoba will have the green light to grow their own plants for personal use. “Manitoba will now align with...
Read moreTo what degree do minimum wage increases, or the switch to a living wage, benefit the economy and low-income earners here in Manitoba?
For related article, see www.nivervillecitizen.com/...