As if being a firefighter with a last name like Matches wasn't challenge enough for Alex; he also took on the additional challenge by writing a book about the job he loved. After working with the department for thirty-three years, he retired as Battalion Chief from VFD in March, 1995. He has always had an interest in history and in 1974 he self-published his first book, It Began with a Ronald, which showed the growth and development of Vancouver's fire apparatus up to that date. At the present time Alex is working on another pictorial history of Vancouver's fire apparatus that will cover 120 years of firefighting equipment.