A Central Elgin volunteer firefighter is the recipient of a public safety award at a presentation last month in Toronto.
Jamie Kovacs was awarded the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) 2025 Impact Safety Award in recognition of his dedication to advancing fire safety and prevention.
He is the Executive Director of the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council and partners with fire services across the province to help promote fire safety and prevention as a community priority.
Kovacs describes himself as ‘super energized’ when it comes to discussing smoke and CO alarms and fire safety in general.
While he has won sales awards with his previous employer, Kovacs admits, “This is the first one I’ve won for giving back and talking. It feels so much better than any other award I’ve ever won.”
However, he is most grateful to the individual who nominated him for the award.
“He’s a mentor of mine,” acknowledged Kovacs.
That mentor is John Gignac, co-executive director of the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education. His niece Laurie and her husband Richard Hawkins and two children were killed by carbon monoxide in their Woodstock home.
The Hawkins- Gignac Act, now requires carbon monoxide alarms in Ontario homes.
While it is critical to have working smoke and CO alarms, Kovacs stresses the need for a current fire safety plan.
He warns should a fire break out in your residence, espeically in the middle of the night, most people do not realize how little time they have to safely get outside.
And no matter how much you feel they are members of the family, once you are outside your residence, do not venture back in to rescue pets.
In his acceptance speech, Kovacs took the time to recognize the volunteers at the Central Elgin Fire Department.
“I want to honestly thank John Gignac and also everybody at Central Elgin Fire. We’ve got a great team there, 100 and some volunteers who devote their time and energy to keeping Central Elgin safe. I just want to thank all of them. Especially when they’ve got a day job. They’ve got to have great employers that say, hey, if the alarm goes, yeah, go.”
At the awards ceremony, Owen Kennedy, Director of Fuels Safety Program with TSSA noted, “Jamie’s unwavering dedication to fire safety advocacy is commendable. His hands-on service and passion for protecting communities through public education on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms make him a true champion of prevention.”
Written by Ian McCallum
