St. John’s, NL – Rescuing a 12-year-old boy injured in a cliff diving accident and administering oxygen to a senior citizen in distress are all in a day’s work for John Callahan, who donates more than 200 hours per year as a volunteer firefighter.  The satisfaction that comes from protecting lives and property has compelled this Sutton Group – Capital Realty Ltd. REALTOR® to respond to hundreds of emergency calls involving structural fires as well as motor vehicle accidents and medical emergencies.  On Saturday April 21, John was honoured to receive his 10-year pin at the Fireman’s Ball.

“Last year, the Torbay Volunteer Fire Department received 200 calls at all hours of the day and night,” says John.  “I volunteer a lot of time and I’ve considered stopping but it’s nice when people let you know they appreciate it.  It keeps me going.”

In addition to the emergency calls, John and the other volunteers spend approximately 16 hours per month inspecting the trucks, checking equipment and refreshing their training in CPR, use of a defibrillator, etc.  John also prepared their annual report last year and included photographs from some of the calls to make it a meaningful record for the community and new recruits.  John’s efforts as a volunteer firefighter have inspired his youngest son, Jacob, to consider a career in firefighting when he grows up.

Family is another high priority in John’s busy schedule.  With his wife and three boys, there is not much free time.  He generally gets involved in whatever sports and hobbies interest his boys.  “I put 110 per cent into everything I do,” he says.  “I don’t like to just sit on the bench.”  As a result, John participates each year in the Killi-Coast Regional Games and has coached softball, basketball and ball hockey games.

With his flexible schedule as a REALTOR® with a home office, he can respond to calls during business hours.  “I’m about three minutes from the fire station.  We gear up in less than two minutes.  If we muster the minimum number of people, we can respond to the call, otherwise we have an agreement with the full-time crew at the St. John’s fire department that they will roll.”  Currently, the Torbay Volunteer Fire Department has 36 dedicated volunteers but new recruits are always needed.  John estimates that 96 to 97 per cent of the communities in Newfoundland and Labrador rely on volunteer fire departments compared to the national average of 60 per cent.

Sutton is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated company with more than 8,700 REALTORS® in over 200 offices nationwide.  To find out more about Sutton, visit www.sutton.com.  To learn more about Sutton Spirit, visit www.suttonspirit.com.

-30-

Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd. Contact:

Jon Chung                         604-691-1650              stories@suttonspirit.com

Sutton Group – Capital Realty Ltd. Contact:

John Callahan                    709-726-6262              jcallahan@sutton.com

Please click here to download the press release