INUVIK - Deputy fire chief Rick Lindsay doesn't look at his fellow volunteer firefighters as merely colleagues or even friends. His loyalty for the close-knit group extends well beyond that.

"We are not just friends," said Lindsay, a member of the department since 1992. "These are people that you lay your life on the line for them and with them.

Several firefighters and two RCMP officers showed up to pay tribute to the 9/11 tragedy and National Firefighters Memorial Day last Friday. They were, from left, Staff Sgt. Cliff McKay, Capt. Duane DeBastien, Capt. Ken Crocker, Deputy fire chief Julie Miller, Deputy fire chief Rick Lindsay, Lt. John Richie, Andrew Cluett, Lt. Paul Hopkins, Erica Wall, Lee Smallwood, Sara Hatcher, Gordon Simms, Mike Orbell, R.J. Lindsay, and RCMP Const. Jimmy MacEachern. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

"Lots of times they're dependent on you and you're dependent on them. We've become tighter than just friends. You develop a relationship here that's unbelievable ... we're like brothers."

So it's no wonder that Lindsay and his fellow Inuvik volunteer firefighters extended that spirit of camaraderie on Friday, Sept. 11 in remembrance of Canadian firefighters who have died on duty.

The short afternoon service, which also included two RCMP officers, was held outside the fire hall to recognize National Firefighters Memorial Day along with the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

Led by Rev. David Parsons, who offered prayer and praise for the local firefighters, the afternoon event prompted remembrance of Yellowknife firefighters Cyril Fife and Kevin Olson who were killed while fighting a fire on March 17, 2005.

"I knew Cyril very well," said deputy chief Julie Miller, a member of the fire department for 12 years. "He's been on my mind a lot today. It's a very sombre day for me. It's very important for us to remember them and the courage these people had."

The department has held the memorial service since 2002. Although the annual event is a sobering reminder of just how dangerous their job can be, Miller said she's more than willing to face the risks.

"A lot of heart and soul goes into the job," she said. "Being a firefighter is not something you necessarily choose, it's something you are. It's a job that we do. I guess the best way to look at it is it's not our emergency, it's somebody else's."

She said one of the things that makes her job worth it is the appreciation she gets from residents.

"It's those moments when you get a thank-you for a job well done or you get an appreciation card from a local family. That's special."

Capt. Duane DeBastien attended Friday's service. He's been a firefighter for 30 years, starting in his home community of Fort McPherson and later in Inuvik where he moved in 2000. He even lost a finger while he was fighting a fire at the high school in 2004.

But the incident didn't stop him from firefighting.

"I love to help people, really." he said.

"I'll go till I can't go no more," he said.