St. John’s has been called the “City of Fire” for a reason, and the St. John’s Fire Department has responded to every call for help. Faithful and Fearless is a richly detailed history of over four hundred years of fighting fires in St. John’s. Outlining the equipment used and the firefighting methods employed from the seventeenth century to present day, the book also introduces the reader to the many firefighters who have worked to keep the city safe. Dramatic historic photographs complement this thorough history by retired St. John’s Deputy Fire Chief Robert Corbett.

Robert Corbett grew up in the west end of St. John’s with his parents, the late Patrick and Margaret Corbett, and his five brothers and four sisters. A graduate of Holy Cross School, he joined the St. John’s Fire Department in 1968. During his thirty-three years working as a firefighter, he spent fourteen years as president and chief negotiator of the St. John’s Fire Fighters Association and also served as president of the Atlantic Provinces Professional Fire Fighters Association for five years. He was awarded the Exemplary Service Medal with a Gold Bar for Fire Fighters and the Provincial Government Medal for Long Service. Upon his retirement in 2001, he had attained the rank of deputy fire chief (operations). He also had a career from 1968 to 2005 in the Canadian Forces, and he was a musician with the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Band. He has been awarded the Canadian Decoration with Clasp and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal with the rank of sergeant.Robert is married to Mary (English); they have two daughters, Colleen Awalt (Harry) and Nicole Parsons (Gary), and three beautiful grandchildren, Paul Awalt and Rebecca and Aaron Parsons.

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