A Rocky View County firefighter has been published in a prestigious American fire journal.
Lieutenant Andrew Mardell, of Irricana Station 56, had an article published in the June edition of the Fire Engineering magazine, which has a very large readership across North America and internationally.
In addition to being a firefighter, Mardell is a registered nurse and a nurse clinician. His article focuses on recognizing and managing a heart condition called Ventricular Tachycardia (VT), which can lead to cardiac arrest.
“I am proud and excited to be in a journal of this calibre,” said Mardell. “It also highlights the Rocky View County fire service as a leading edge fire service as we transition to a combination fire service.”
Mardell, a resident of Irricana, has been volunteering at the station for more than four years. In addition, he works part time at the Balzac and Elbow Valley stations.
He has grown to love the community and his co-workers at Station 56.
“I originally started because I thought I could share some of my knowledge from the medical side of things,” said Mardell. “The Station 56 team is the best fire hall in the county. Being a volunteer fire station, we get the cream of the crop.”
Station Fire Chief Judy Unsworth is pleased for Mardell.
“We are incredibly proud to have him published,” said Unsworth. “This is a rare opportunity for a Canadian volunteer firefighter. As a fire station, we are very lucky to attract the calibre of guys that we do - and Lieutenant Mardell exemplifies this.”
Unsworth said Mardell brings a diverse set of skills along with a fabulous sense of humour and leadership skills to the team.
According to Unsworth, Mardell is responsible for keeping all of the firefighters up to date on medical training and technology.
“He is extremely disciplined and professional at all times, but he is exceptionally funny,” said Unsworth. “Until you get to know him, you would never guess that he would possess all these talents, he is quietly competent.”
Rocky View Fire Services Chief Wayne Brown said the magazine is one of the key fire service publications.
“It is not often that we read someone (from Canada) that has contributed to the magazine,” said Brown. “It is really a feather in the cap of Rocky View Fire Service (RVFS), but particularly the Irricana fire station. It bodes well for the future of RVFS to have individuals like Lieutenant Mardell within our service.”
