Like so many Surrey Firefighters, Balraj Dosanjh didn’t start out his professional life in the fire service. After high school he attended college to study Financial Management, eventually working for a Lower Mainland credit union.  He had a great career however he wasn’t finding the professional satisfaction he craved.
With the help of his wife, Bal tried to find a career that he could see himself doing for the rest of his life. They both came to the same conclusion: firefighting. Taking a giant leap of faith, Bal left his job and returned to school to attend firefighter academy.
After graduation, Balraj applied to the City of Surrey to be a volunteer firefighter. He had never had any exposure to firefighting and felt it would be a good way to gain experience in the field. As luck would have it, firefighting was everything he had hoped it would be. After each call, Balraj felt satisfied he was making people’s lives better.
A year after he started volunteering Balraj was hired as a full-time firefighter in the Surrey Fire Service and ten years into his career, he still looks forward to coming to work. Firefighting has allowed him to continually learn new skills and grow professionally. It has also allowed him the flexibility to spend a lot of quality time with his growing family.
When asked what kind of person becomes a firefighter, Bal answers “If you are the kind of person who has to help people, then this is the career. You can’t teach someone to care, it has to come from inside”.
If you are the kind of person who wants to make a difference, the Surrey Fire Service is currently looking for volunteers at selected halls. Please visit www.surreycareers.ca for more information or call 604-543-6739.