It was a rainy, but eventful Thursday morning for Fire Chief-For-A-Day Arjun Parihar, who found the winning golden ticket for this year’s annual contest.
Instead of visiting the schools during Fire Prevention Week like they usually would, Delta Fire organized fire-safety grab bags to be handed out to K-to-4 students throughout Delta schools.
One of them contained a Willy Wonka-style golden ticket, and whoever found the ticket would be this year’s winner of the Chief-For-A-Day contest.
“I was at school [when I found the ticket] and I got super happy. I came home, then told my parents, but the fire department had already called and told them,” recalled Parihar.
The Hellings Elementary Grade 4 student started off his day at breakfast alongside Delta’s Fire Chief Guy McKintuck, where he says he ate one pancake and had some iced tea.
“I have kids of my own, so I really like interacting with kids – especially who are interested in the fire service – and this young man was wearing a suit and a tie and you could tell by his questions and his excitement that he was really engaged,” says McKintuck.
Following a visit to Mayor George Harvie’s office, the troop then headed to Boundary Bay Fire Hall No. 4, where firefighters were awaiting his arrival to help with a series of demonstrations.
Clad in his Delta Fire ball cap, Chief-For-A-Day Parihar proceeded to put out a fire just inside the doors of the training building, guiding the hose’s stream with the help of the firefighters.
“That was very fun! I’m excited – they said I could ride down the fire pole,” he said.
Auto extrication and some high angle rescues were also on the day’s schedule before the planned lunch of chicken burgers and cokes.
Mother Anu Parihar said she was certain the whole thing was sure to have an impact on him and that he would be talking about this special day for a while.
The Chief-For-A-Day contest has been going on since 1985 in Delta.