Bridging the Gap is the colourful story of the 300-year creation of the St. John's Regional Fire Department. This extraordinary narrative mirrors the military and political history of a province that lived under the shadow of British rule until 1949. In the intervening years, fire-fighting was as essential as the police and military services in keeping St. John's safe during times of war and peace. Donald C. Rose tells the vivid stories of devastating fires, heroic rescues, and the ingenious ways that new technology was used to save lives and institutions from blazing infernos. Meticulously researched and comprehensive in its detail, Bridging the Gap offers a fresh look at the history of a city through the eyes of its firefighters.

Born in St. John's, Donald C. Rose is the son of a First World War veteran and received his formal education at Bishop Feild College. He worked with Wabush Mines and the Fire Department in Churchill Falls before taking a position as a fire consultant in Ottawa. This new phase of his career led to his joining the Canadian Foreign Service, and serving as a fire consultant on Canadian missions in the United States, Russia and Germany before returning to St John's to work at Public Works Canada, where he helped establish the federal district office of the Dominion Fire Commissioner (DFC). He served with the DFC for nearly 20 years until the district office was closed and he returned to Ottawa. He is a member of the Bytown Fire Brigade - Museum and Historic Society in Ottawa, and has donated his time and experience as a student of history, to this day. His personal career achievements include the locating, researching and restoration of a 1923 fire truck which is now back with its original owners, and the property of the Town of Sharon Mass. Historic Society. Apart from being a veteran of the Cold War [Naval & Foreign Service] Rose was publicly citied for saving the lives of others on three separated occasions, and awarded a Citation from the Royal Canadian Humane Society. Upon his retirement, he was presented with the Governor General of Canada medal for Exemplary Service to the Canadian People.

Donald Rose's profile page