A Rhein firefighter is among the103 recipients of the Saskatchewan Protective Services Medal for 2020 announced this week by Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Russ Mirasty.
鈥淚n challenging times such as this, it is more important than ever to recognize the valuable work of our protective services personnel,鈥� Mirasty said in a release.聽 鈥淚 wish to thank each medal recipient for their outstanding service to our province and I congratulate them on this well-deserved honour.鈥�
The medal honours personnel with at least 25 years of exemplary service in Saskatchewan in protective services fields, including police, fire, correctional and border services, the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as mobile crisis and family violence outreach services.
Among the recipients this year is Captain Bruce Peppler of the Rhein Fire Department.
Peppler told Yorkton This Week Monday 鈥渋t鈥檚 been a long grind,鈥� to get to this point in the sense he became involved with the fire department in Rhein when he was still a teenager.|
鈥淚鈥檝e got over 40 years in,鈥� said Peppler, now 60.
Originally Peppler said he became involved because community involvement was just something people did four decades ago.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just what everybody did back then. You helped out wherever you could. In the community everybody did it,鈥� he said.
Peppler said the force remains an active one with 15-20 members and a Fire Chief in Robert Engel that keeps things going.
鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for him (Engel) this place wouldn鈥檛 be running,鈥� said Peppler.
As for the recognition, Peppler said 鈥淚t is gratifying,鈥� but quickly added he never did it for a medal someday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about recognition, it鈥檚 about helping out, doing what you can to help people out.鈥�
Captains Allan Callfas and Donald Wenet of Melville Fire and Rescue are also 2020 recipients from the area.
This year鈥檚 recipients come from 26 rural and urban communities from across the province.聽 They will receive a circular medal surmounted by St. Edward鈥檚 Crown and a certificate signed by the Lieutenant Governor, Premier and Provincial Secretary.聽 The medal bears the motto Qui civitatem tuentur (who guard the citizenry).
While public health orders due to COVID-19 will prevent the traditional presentation ceremonies normally held for this medal in Regina and Saskatoon, each nominating agency will receive a medal package and certificate for presentation to their recipient(s) in a physically-distanced internal ceremony.
For more information about the Saskatchewan Protective Services Medal, including how to submit a nomination, visit
