Two firefighters with the St. John’s Regional Fire Department have been named firefighters of the year.

St. John’s Rotary Club handed out the plaques to Kenny Roche and Paul McEvoy yesterday.

Lieutenant McEvoy was honoured for organizing a number of fundraisers outside the station, many of which were for mental health initiatives. Roche was celebrated for his work in training new firefighters and working with families who had lost their homes.

Roche, a firefighter for more than 40 years, says while a lot has changed in the profession, he most enjoys helping people.

“What I really enjoy is the interagency work that we do, working with the ambulance industry, the police, and stuff like that,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we’re here for the people that we serve. And some days are good days, and other days, unfortunately, there’s a bad outcome. But we try our best to do what we can for the people.”