AUPE is saddened to hear that a firefighter was seriously injured fighting a wildfire on Wednesday, May 17. Our hearts go out to Frankie Payou of the East Prairie Métis Settlement, as well as his family, friends, and all the heroes on the front-lines of these fires.
Payou and his coworkers deserve our appreciation now more than ever. Alberta is experiencing one of the worst starts to a wildfire season in history. Our air quality is among the worst in the world because of the fires, causing injury and illness far beyond burned hectares’ reach.
“There are countless Albertans—heroes like Frankie Payou—who risk everything to keep us safe,” says AUPE Vice-President Mike Dempsey. “They don’t do it for fame or accolades; they do it because they care. We need to show that we care about them, too.”
Please be safe and please think of the courageous workers who are out there fighting for you.