Chestermere Fire Services remembers Craig Lawrence

Chestermere Fire Services (CFS) remembered one of their own with a bell ringing and memorial workout Feb. 23 to commemorate Craig Lawrence.
“His passion was for firefighting his passion was fitness his passion was planning, and his passion was Chestermere,” CFS Chief Brian Pomrenke.
Lawrence was Director of Planning with the city and a member of the then volunteer Chestermere fire department when he died in a crash on Highway 1 in 2008.
Pomrenke is one of about five firefighters with CFS who worked with Lawrence.
“He was all heart and he was a lot of fun and just an all-around really good person,” said Pomrenke.
He described Lawrence as someone who would arrive at the fire hall in a shirt and tie, pull on his bunker gear and head out on a call still wearing his dress clothes.
“You can imagine going to a medical and you get a gentleman that comes in with bare bunker pants on and a shirt and tie,” said Pomrenke.
While many of Chestermere’s current firefighters never had the opportunity to work with Lawrence, his impact is still felt at the hall.
“He was always a fun kind of guy and just a light-hearted individual that just resonated that spirit throughout our volunteer station,” said Pomrenke.
He still resonates at the fire hall. There is a shadow box memorial to Craig in the kitchen at the current CFS fire hall which helps to keep his memory alive.
“It’s often something that we see every day,” said Capt. Joel Fournie.
Possibly for this reason, as the tenth anniversary approached, the idea for a memorial workout grew organically from the guys on the floor.
“They got together one day and knowing we were approaching the 10-year anniversary of Craig’s passing they thought that this would be a great year to initiate this,” said Fournie of the memorial workout.
In choosing a workout, the firefighters felt that they were honouring Lawrence’s commitment to fitness.
“You would always see Craig Lawrence running around Chestermere with a wind breaker and a pair of purple spandex pants on,” said Pomrenke.
In designing the memorial workout, also known as a hero workout, Fournie said they made it deliberately treacherous.
“You’re supposed to put aside what you’re going through and remember that person,” he said.
“To push through your…weaknesses and find strength for that person,” said Fournie.
To that end, each timing or set was based around a number significant to Lawrence’s death.
They did 10 rounds of the workout for the tenth anniversary.
“He died on Feb. 23, so we had to run up and down the stairs twice and then 23 mountain climbers,” said Fournie.
They also did eight alternating one arm snatches to represent the year, 2008.
Prior to the start of the workout, dispatch sounded the tones in the hall and a bell was rung by a rookie member of CFS following an old firefighter memorial tradition.
Stories about Lawrence were also shared, something that Fournie and the other firefighters who never had the chance to work with him appreciated.
“Everyone who shared their stories about Craig really helped personalize him for those who didn’t know Craig,” he said.