Ray Pauze, a member of the Capreol Fire
Department’s First Response Team, is a relative newcomer to the force.
In the 2 ½ years he has been a member of the volunteer squad, he has
spent countless hours practising and training in order to be prepared to
handle any kind of emergency which may present itself. He lives only a few
doors away from the fire department, so when his pager goes off, at any
time of the day or night, he is often the first one at the door wheeling
away in the First Response vehicle to the scene of an accident or fire.
Little did he know that a recent trip with his wife to a wedding in
Toronto would turn into the most dramatic rescue mission of his life.
On August 4, Ray and his wife, Nicole, were heading down
to Toronto to attend a wedding. Ray was craving for an ice-cream cone so
they stopped at the French River Trading Post. The line-up was too long
for Ray to wait, so some five minutes after stopping, they were back on
the road again, looking forward to the ice-cream in Parry Sound. Ray will
never really know what brought about that craving for ice-cream. Perhaps
it was fate. Perhaps it was meant to be. Regardless, of why his trip to
Toronto was delayed by those five minutes, a neighbouring family a few
doors away from his house in Capreol will be forever grateful.
As they neared the Pickerel River Bridge, just south of
the French River Trading Post, the flashing lights of the approaching cars
warned Ray that something serious lay ahead. Soon, his eyes came upon what
he had feared. A twisted mound of automobiles.
Since the accident had just happened moments earlier, he
was able to drive right up to the wreckage and immediately got out of his
car. Ray has been trained to respond to emergencies and he did not
hesitate at all to answer the call. A few people were already on the
scene. No one really knew what to do and there was a sense of panic in
their voices as they scrambled about trying to be of any assistance at
all. At least one person was dead and a number of others were seriously
injured.
Ray and Nicole hurried to one of the vehicles where a
young lady was obviously badly hurt. An under cover policy officer was
holding the lady’s shattered leg. Ray recognized the woman. It was
Carolyn. Her sister, Lori was his neighbour. They lived a few houses from
him in Capreol. He then saw Jennifer, Lori’s other sister, pinned
against the steering wheel, crying in pain. In the back seat, still in the
child seatbelt, was Carolyn’s 4-year old daughter, Maggie. This was the
worst accident Ray had been involved with and his attention soon became
focussed on Carolyn, who seemed to be the most seriously injured. Nicole
quietly calmed Maggie while Ray comforted the two sisters. Despite of the
pain she was in, Jennifer insisted that Ray use the cell phone to call her
parents in Sudbury to let them know what had happened. He did. It was the
first time that he had ever made such a phone call and was very clear and
concise about the condition of the girls. He was later thanked by the
family for this action since it enabled the parents to be at the hospital
when the ambulance arrived.
Carolyn and Jennifer were both relieved to know that
someone they knew was taking care of them. Ray did everything right. He
attended to Carolyn and stayed with Jennifer until she was removed from
the automobile. The steering wheel was pinned up against her face for
almost an hour before she was freed. Both women will recover from their
ordeal, thanks in large part to the quick action taken by Ray. Except for
some bruises, Maggie was fine. The toggled child seat belt saved her life.
Two people died in that accident. The list of broken
bones and concussions of the survivors was incredible. The manner in which
Ray Pauze took charge and handled the situation was remarkable - a
testament to the skill and dedication of the entire Capreol Fire
Department’s volunteers.
Carolyn, Jennifer and Maggie, as well the entire family
have expressed their appreciation to Ray many times over. Ray Pauze says
he would have done the same for anyone, but how do you account for the
ice-cream craving? For the decision not to wait in the long line up and
get back on the road? For being in the right place at precisely the right
time when needed most by the three passengers? What if he wouldn’t have
stopped for ice-cream? Would there have been someone else with Ray’s
expertise available to help out so quickly? We will never know the answers
to these questions. What happened, happened. No doubt Ray will relive the
moments leading up to the incident and be left wondering what would have
happened if...? He and his wife were "bummed out" afterwards and
had to stop in Parry Sound for some strong caffeine. His performance at
the scene of the accident was precise and in accordance with his training.
He knew what had to be done and he did it. It was only when they had left
the scene that he began to realize the magnitude of his actions...how
badly injured the victims were...and the courage that he had mustered up
in a time of need. An incredible feeling came over him that he will never
forget.
The Capreol Fire Department trains every Tuesday evening
at 7 p.m. The 25 volunteers gather under the direction of Fire Chief,
Gerry Cummings, to practice routine drills and simulations.
They have emergency first aid and C.P.R. qualifications
as well as skills in handling numerous situations that arise from time to
time. They all carry pagers 24 hours a day and are committed to respond
immediately when an alarm is sounded. They work as a well-tuned team and
are proud of their contribution to the quality of life of their community.
What Ray Pauze did on August 4 is something that the
entire volunteer team and indeed the entire Town of Capreol can be very
proud of. Jennifer, Carolyn and Maggie will always remember his kindness,
compassion and professional approach to what was undoubtedly one of the
most horrifying experiences of their lives.
On behalf of all of our readers, The Vision salutes Ray
Pauze and the rest of the volunteer fire fighters in both Capreol and
Valley East for making a real difference in our community.
