Dear Editor:
On Friday, April 19 a fire broke out in the apartment building I live in at 358 East Third St.
Thankfully for everyone, the fire was contained to one suite and the building residents acted very quickly to fight the fire, contacting the fire department and evacuating the residents and pets.
One apartment was completely gutted and four others sustained heavy smoke damage requiring those tenants to be put up at hotels and with friends/families. We were all very lucky, the building is more than 100 years old and is made of wood and has no sprinklers etc.
There were a number of heroes that day, but what impressed me the most were the actions of my fellow residents, our neighbours, emergency responders, emergency social services and North Shore Neighbourhood House.
My fellow residents were awesome. We all acted very quickly with some working to contain and fight the fire while others evacuated the building in a calm and orderly manner making sure that all residents and our pets were safe and accounted for.
The emergency responders arrived extremely fast. The fire department not only fought the fire quickly but the crews showed great compassion to all residents and worked very hard to help locate and rescue some pets that had hidden during the commotion.
The ambulance service treated all of us extremely well and ensured that our health needs were taken care of.
Emergency services arrived very quickly and took care of all of us. They arranged for a bus to keep us out of the elements and checked to make sure we were all OK and then they evacuated us to North Shore Neighbourhood House. We were then registered and those that needed clothing and shelter were taken care of immediately and all of us were treated with great care and compassion.
Food was also delivered, we didn't think we were hungry but once we had a Subway sandwich we realized we were famished.
The staff at North Shore Neighbourhood House were so amazing. When we arrived dazed and confused we were ushered to the board room where tea, coffee, cheese and crackers and a huge fruit platter awaited us.
The staff also made sure that the pets we had with us had everything they needed. The neighbourhood house even stayed opened longer so that those of us with no where else to go until we could get back into our apartments had a warm and cozy place to wait.
However, what impressed me the most was the actions of our neighbours.
As us residents stood out in the cold and rain while we watched the fire wondering if we had lost everything, our neighbours jumped into action. Blankets, clothing, pet carriers and shoes were offered - and gratefully accepted - plus pet carriers and leashes appeared to ensure our pets could be contained and kept safe.
Offers of bathrooms (very important!!!) were made, jugs and cups of coffee appeared, but most of all the caring and compassion of everyone was so extremely touching and made the horrible experience so much easier to deal with.
To everyone who came to our rescue that day, a huge thank you. Words will never be enough to show you how much your actions were appreciated that day.
Jon Cain North Vancouver
