“Hey PC, is the Fire Marshal being called on this one?” I asked at my second ever fire in Sault Ste. Marie, “No” was the answer to all the immediate questions I had.

This incident was one of the first of roughly 500 stories I have brought to Sault Ste. Marie readers in my time here as an “incident photojournalist”.

I have been threatened on and off the scene, been asked my whereabouts by Police when fires started, apparently have been a suspect at least once and called many names under the sky in response to bringing these stories to the community.

Things that stand out from that trailer fire was a significant lack of trust of anyone with a camera and media by all involved. Seeing someone there to bring that type of news to the community I learned is relatively new here and in the volume in which I did bring it, unheard of locally.

Much to the chagrin of those who call me an “Ambulance chaser”, every significant event I could possibly attend to hold the allocation of public taxpayer dollars accountable, make your commute a little easier or answer the “where were they (emergency services) going?”,  I did.

From drug busts in Jamestown at 2 a.m. in my pyjamas and slippers. From collisions (not accidents, NEVER accidents apparently… thanks Tom!) to coverage of the men and women who provide these services daily is something I will never regret doing here.

Over the time of exposing issues within departments, highlighting healthcare heroes at the hospital and generally sometimes being a pain in the ass on weekends to numerous emergency communications officers (Thanks Lincoln for putting up with it) the community started to rely on our team here at SaultOnline for the breaking news.

The number of times we are tagged or private messaged now when something is going down shows, in my opinion, a job well done. When journalists are being tagged to ask questions on a broader scale and hold services accountable for their actions, the whole world is a better place.

Focusing on deaths, collisions, fires and the associated departments has, I hope, in the end made both this community and those who serve it safer.

What started with a very standoffish police service where frontline officers didn’t trust me has turned into numerous conversations on and off the record about situations in the Sault.

Keeping us behind the cruisers only to find out I use bigger lenses in that case, led to jokes on the scene about making sure I didn’t catch them with their hi-vis vests off.

The thousands of photos of emergency workers have led to a few getting dinged for bad safety at a scene, in the end making them safer.

What will always stand out to me about this community as a whole but most definitely demonstrated by the firefighters, police and paramedics is the compassion, professionalism and respect with which they treat everyone, including the media, while on a scene.

I’ve never seen them lose their temper, I have received very few complaints of wrongdoings, I know they have their hands tied when it comes to certain legislation, but they put the vest, bunker gear or paramedic yellow on, every day, and serve this community with pride.

Through the time I’ve been here, I’m proud to call many of them friends outside of work. The insight they provide into their various professions, and the ability to speak freely about the tragedies both they and journalists witness, is another thing I will take with me and cherish well into my new position.

I would be amiss if I didn’t address one thing I feel is going to be detrimental to the public if not handled properly.

I can not stress, that putting fire communications in the dark without the ability for journalists in the community to hold those accountable for their actions and dollars spent is a step backwards in a community that talks about transparency being important. Yet in the very next breath, does everything it seems to hide it.

Sault Ste Marie needs to work towards an open data system like that shared in Windsor and Niagara falls, showing incidents in almost real-time so people understand why it took so long to get an officer to their door or an incident which may make them late to work.

Police should be equipped with at minimum dash cams, Saultites should demand four fire stations remain across the city and demand that the downtown core and its fire services never be separated by a rail line.

More ambulances need to be funded by the province, but ambulances won’t solve the issues with hospitals and offload delays. That issue needs to be dealt with from a Federal and Provincial funding level and only then will it, maybe, get better.

I want to thank officials from all departments from Chiefs and deputies down to the newest members of the force for making my job easy to do, most of the time. Understanding that the questions being asked were never personal, but always with the goal of highlighting issues within each department.

I want to thank on-scene personnel for their time and understanding in dealing with me personally and the media as a whole. I hope the gap I leave in coverage of our community tragedies and incidents will be filled by whoever comes next or those already here.

Last but not least, I want to thank the community. I know seeing the worst day of your life plastered all over the news is not easy. As much as we try (myself more than some), sometimes the media is the way individuals find out about a tragedy. It may not be right, but in the age of cell phones and live streams, reporters bringing factual information to the people I will always believe is better than the rumours spread by those not trained.

I want to thank the hundreds of people who have reached out to me with issues, incidents and questions about emergency services and healthcare. Know that, without you, many of them would still be in the dark and the community would still be ill-informed.

This city will always be near and dear to my heart. Tomorrow, I will speak about the people here and how they have changed my life.

Until then, stay strong, work hard, aim to reach your goals, and achieve great things.

From Behind the Lens, I’m Dan Gray.

dan i feel for ya buddy but, a part of me, thinks that maybe because you aya know you stepped on some wrong toes in your time covering city hall, the mayor and counsoler’s. i hope you did not get into a visit in the middle of then night maybe in a dark parking lots with thug tell you to STOP or else or maybe even a bribe of some sorts. i just hope you did not sell out to city hall because maybe thijs mayor has some connection with a thug who will inforce against you if you step on his toe’s.

Hello? Hello? Mr. Dan. Your writing about the Soo makes me think that you’ve been there. I was just wondering if you could tell me something about it. I’m planning to go to the Soo on vacation, and I’d like to know what it’s like. Do you have any recommendations?

The Soo has been dead for 30 years, it’s run down with decimated roads full of ruts, bumps and king sized pot holes and little to do.. If you are an outdoors person planning a fishing or hunting trip fine, if not find a more modernized place to visit.

I hear your respect for the front-line firefighting heroes, Dan, and those fire service members certainly deserve our respect, and admiration. Bravo front-line firefighters!!

I’m wondering, however, if your respect travels all the way up to the current Fire Chief?

Chief Johnson is certainly a good person, and a skilled, and heroic firefighter, but as a Chief I find myself questioning his non-firefighting abilities in his role as Chief of the Sault Fire Service.

Anyhow, before you came I had no idea there were sooooo… many fire and ambulance incidents going on in our community, so thank you for reporting those, Dan.

Just a little unsolicited advice which came to me by way of an old-time reporter, if I may?

When covering tragic accidents it is good and right to provide as many details as possible.

Of course that kind of reporting hurts like heck for the family members and loved ones at the time of the tragedy, however, several years later it is those same family members and loved ones who appreciate the tiny little details in your news report, which, of course they will continue to go back to in order to keep the memory of their loved one alive as long as possible.

Thank you for the essential fire service you provided our community with while you’ve been here in the Sault, Dan!!

No, not the Sudan, Dan. The Sault, Dan.

Welcome to the Sault…’s farewell party for you, Dan, the Sault’s fearless reporting hero man!!

Your new town will be lucky to have you, son.

We need you here! The general consensus is that there won’t be another coming along to fill your shoes, probably ever. People like you are few and far between. How can moving to another city to do the same type of work alter your life enough to warrant uprooting your family when you are just getting settled in here? Please seriously reconsider leaving as you are the best reporter that saultonline has ever employed and you are appreciated more than you will ever know.

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