As firefighters add boots on the ground in Fort McMurray, their colleagues in Vancouver have them in hand and full of cash.
- Fort McMurray fire: How you can help affected residents
Members of Vancouver Fire and Rescue hit the streets Monday morning, collecting funds for victims of the wildfire tearing through the Fort McMurray area.
Using their boots as donation bins, firefighters said their footwear was filled to the brim with change collected from morning commuters.
"They went to one of the banks and overloaded the coin counters, so they had to go to a second bank," Capt. Jonathan Gormick told CTV News.
The campaign raised more than $28,000.
"I think all of us are in this profession because we want to help, we want to be the people who go in and help people,"Gormick said.
"When we see people in need, and a community in crisis, we want to be there."
Gormick said they believe raising money was the best way to help for now, but if the province asked for Vancouver volunteers, "there'll be a lineup of Vancouver Fire staff who are willing to go."
Elsewhere in Metro Vancouver, residents mobilized to help in other ways.
Surrey's Sikh community loaded up three trucks packed with donated goods on Monday morning, just one convoy of aid en route to Alberta.
The group's trucks are full of canned food, diapers, toiletries and baby products. Those wishing to take part in the Sikh Community Donation Drive can find out more information here (http://www.akalacademy.ca/sikh-community-donation-drive/).
Local business owners have also been collecting donations, like Tammy Truong, who owns a beauty shop.
She said her customers have been clamouring to contribute, and visited the Red Cross on her lunch break to drop off a monetary donation. Employees at the shop were willing to donate their tips to the cause as well.
"Everyone is very concerned," Truong said.
She said members of the Vietnamese community plan to have a fundraising event in the near future.
Experts say the best thing to donate during disasters is still cash, but as many open their hearts and wallets, police advise well-meaning donors to be cautious.
Vancouver police are currently not reporting any scams, but are on the lookout for dishonest opportunists.
If you're concerned about the validity of a fundraiser, it is best to make donations directly to charity organizations.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Tom Popyk
