Fort Simpson (July 02/04) - He may be unflappable in an emergency, but Fort Simpson's fire chief was at a loss for words on Saturday evening.

Pat Rowe was honoured by his peers for 20 years of distinguished voluntary service. The whole thing came as a surprise as he wasn't even aware that one purpose of the gathering was to present him with a gift as well as a medallion from the Governor General.

"I don't know what to say," he told the crowd. "I hope we've got another 20 (years) coming."

Firefighter Lee Scobie said she thinks of Rowe as a good leader. She noted that he inspires camaraderie among the volunteer firefighters.

"He's a great teacher, too," said Scobie.

Deputy fire chief Roger Pilling added that Rowe is always calm and cool under pressure.

"He never gets flustered," Pilling said. "He's unreal."

After a tragedy, Rowe admitted that he sometimes struggles to come to terms with the loss, especially when children are involved. Having a first-rate department helps him get through the difficult periods, he said.

He devotes an average of 15 hours to his duties as fire chief each week, he estimated. He said he does it, "to give something back to the community."

"Any time you can see that you've made a difference, that keeps you going," he said.

In his 20 years of the department -- 11 of those as chief -- Rowe said the department has been fortunate to have a reliable brigade. The crew currently includes 15 men and women, a number he would like to see climb to 20.

He's also been advocating to have the fire hall extended.

"With gas and oil coming in, we're going to be a much busier place," he said. "It's the type of thing you can't chase. You have to be ready. We'd like to be more proactive and get geared up for it."