OXBOW - Layla Kitz and Grayson Brock are exceptionally good friends and have known each other since kindergarten. They attend the Oxbow Prairie Horizon School and are entering Grade 10.
Kitz’s parents are Cory and Rachelle Kitz, and she has a younger brother Casey. Brock’s parents are Gregory and Tamara Brock, and he has three siblings, Meghan, Erica and Kaiden. They have both lived in Oxbow their entire lives with their families.
These two youths are only 15 years old, but they wanted to join the fire department in Oxbow.
Both their dads are firefighters and Brock’s uncle, Doug Pierce, is the fire chief. Over the years they have had a lot of family in the department, including grandparents, siblings and uncles.
As kids they loved going to the fire hall with their dads, so when they became old enough to join, they did.
Kitz turned 15 in January and Brock did the same in May. They needed to fill out the application form and have parents' consent to become a member.
They said their parents knew that someday they would join.
Training is done through first-hand experience. Because they are so new, they are still not sure what to do, but they said that would come in time.
They have gone out on several occasions to fires, a rollover and a STARS Air Ambulance call.
They feel that volunteering is an important part of the community, and they said it is a terrific way to help people and give back to the community that they live in.
Decisions about their careers are not certain yet, but they do plan to stay on the department as long as they are able.
Once they turn 18, they will be able to get into the fire, to say, and this is the day they look forward to. In the meantime, they plan to learn as much as they can.
Community involvement is nothing new to them. Kitz is a volunteer at the Expressway Family Centre, where she hosts a fun games hour for children. She is also involved in swimming, dancing and curling.
Taking an online course, she is now able to instruct kids about curling. The school has two senior and two junior curling teams with which she is involved.
Brock plays hockey and is on the U15 AA Bruins team in Estevan, playing defence.
During the summer, he enjoys golfing, fishing and working. He works for Kitz’s father, cutting down trees and mowing lawns.
