There was no shortage of white uniforms, navies and reds creating a sea of emergency first responders Tuesday night at River Rock Casino Resort.
The 911 Awards Ceremony dinner gala, organized by Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the City of Richmond, invites hundreds of community members to come out and show their support for the city's first responders as a whole, and for the nominees in particular.
Appreciation was shown through the mere presence of Richmondites dressed in their finest and through their applause at the award presentation - sometimes accented with the paramedics' cowbell or hoots from those rowdy coast guard tables.
Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, delivered the keynote speech drawing from her own experiences with emergency services.
Recently, while riding horses on her ranch in Nicola Valley, her friend suffered a heart attack. A helicopter was dispatched and they were sent to the hospital.
"Out in the valley, we're quite remote, but I was impressed by how fast the first responders were," she said. "It showed me the importance of good, reliable communication."
Guichon stressed the need for the first responders to work together as they respond collectively to emergency calls and acknowledged the importance of the teams behind the individual officers.
"And when I say team, I'm also referring to the families," she said. "How often is it an off-duty officer or firefighter responding to a call? They can only maintain this level of commitment with a supportive family. They, too, must be recognized."
It was a point made clearer as retired Cpl. Bill Lumsdon accepted his Community Safety Career Achievement Award and touchingly choked up when acknowledging his wife's endless support.
Following Guichon, Mayor Malcolm Brodie said a few words emphasizing the extraordinary work of the teams, particularly remembering the immediate response to the plane crash along Russ Baker Way in the fall of 2011.
It's an incident Steve Ilott, Richmond RCMP auxiliary member, won't forget.
"I just remember how many auxiliary constables went out there to show their support," he said. As part of the auxiliary, Ilott volunteers by accompanying officers on patrol and doing community-policing duties.
"Nine were at the scene within 45 minutes, and these are just volunteers. People who live and work in Richmond and want to show their support for our community."
Global TV's Randene Neill, as MC, provided updates on the Vancouver Canucks' Game 4, interspersed with the awards to community initiatives, volunteers, coast guards - cue the hoots - firefighters, police officers and paramedics.
Although most people were happy to stick to their own colours and catch up with friends on the force they hadn't seen in a while, the night offered a unique opportunity to unify all the first responders under one roof.
"It's important for all of them to see the response in the community," said Scott McCloy, of awards' title partner WorkSafeBC. "We want to show our appreciation for their courage and passion out on the job."
