The Daily Graphic, Angela Brown

A desire to help, is often the leading reason so many citizens become firefighters.

For Portage la Prairie firefighter Daren van den Bussche, who initially started as a volunteer about 20 year ago in the Swan Lake area, it was a matter of the heart.

"I volunteered to help the community out and the work interested me, " he said, recalling what first motivated him to the service.

Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Hoeppner spoke up about the efforts of volunteer firefighters who go beyond the call of duty every day to save lives, educate others, and prevent fires and accidents.

"Firefighters work daily to protect the lives and property of citizens in almost 3,500 communities across Canada ...," she said in a speech in the House of Commons in Ottawa on March 31. "Volunteer firefighters make a tremendous contribution in their local communities in places like Portage-Lisgar, often at great personal expense and under less than ideal circumstances, keeping us safe in our homes and communities."

Hoeppner lauded the work of firefighters during the annual Government Relations Week for the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), which is a national organization representing more than 1,000 Fire Chief officers throughout Canada.

Hoeppner also met with Morden Fire Chief Andy Thiessen who is the director representing Manitoba on the board at CAFC.