The Day of Mourning is an important day to many – especially our own staff, some of whom began a career in health and safety because they were affected by a workplace incident or death.

A small stumble. That’s what Tami Der, an occupational health and safety consultant in our Abbotsford office, says saved her father’s life 42 years ago.

In 1979, Tami’s father, Fred Dunn, was a firefighter for the Vancouver Fire Department when his unit responded to a major apartment fire. It was Fred’s responsibility to stay with his captain while on the call. But as they ran into the burning building, Fred stumbled on the sidewalk. His captain, John Graham, continued ahead and into what he thought was a fire service elevator. Fred took the stairs to meet him, but when he arrived, Fred found John engulfed in the fire. Unable to reach him through the flames, Fred had to remain on the sidelines as his captain lost his life.

“That so easily could have been my dad inside that elevator on that day,” says Tami.

The tragedy left a long-lasting mark on her father. “From that moment on, my dad was the ‘safety guy.’ He was very focused on safety at work, but also with his kids, and took every opportunity to make sure we understood how important safety was in everything we did,” Tami recalls.

The incident also took a toll on Fred’s mental health, and he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder throughout the remainder of his career.

“At the time, there weren’t any mental health supports for first responders. The culture was very much one where they didn’t talk about their feelings. [The expectation was] to ‘suck it up.’ It was just part of the job,” says Tami.

A passion for safety

In the years following the incident, the safety lessons Fred imparted to his family inspired Tami to make a difference herself. Twenty-six years ago, her dream of working at WorkSafeBC came true, and the self-described safety nerd now uses her passion to help keep workplaces safe as a occupational health and safety consultant.

“I work directly with employers and consult with them on how to keep their workplace safe,” she says. “I have this overwhelming desire to keep people safe. When I see something that’s wrong, I have to act on it. I have to say something — it’s just part of who I am, and that’s largely because of my dad’s experience.”

For Tami, the Day of Mourning is an opportunity to honour the memory of Captain John Graham and is a powerful reminder of how short life can be.

“To think that something as small as a stumble on the sidewalk was what kept my father from dying on the job that day is really sobering,” she says. “I’m so glad that we recognize the Day of Mourning. It reminds us that it’s unacceptable that people die on the job, and the ripple effects it can have on so many lives.”

Tami Der with her father, Fred Dunn.

Take a moment on April 28 to remember

Join us in a moment of silence on April 28 to remember the 161 B.C. workers who died last year from a workplace injury or disease.

Visit dayofmourning.bc.ca for a listing of ceremonies around the province, and watch a livestream of the Day of Mourning ceremony from Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver at 10:30 a.m. to recognize the day, and those we lost.