Volunteer firefighters are critical to the safety of residents in many small communities.

That rings true in Coldwater and throughout Severn Township, where Andy Jones and his son, Mark Jones, have a combined 45 years of dedicated contributions through volunteer firefighting. The duo were recently recognized for 30 and 15 years of service, respectively.

Andy, 54, started his firefighting career 30 years ago after following in the footsteps of his mother-in-law and father-in-law, who were firefighters in the former Matchedash Township.

“When I married their daughter, they got me involved,” he said. “I was interested right away.”

Unfortunately, Andy’s eyesight didn’t pass the requirements to become a full-time firefighter, and not even surgery could sufficiently correct it.

Source: OrilliaMatters.com