by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Daniel Morisset

Age: 39

Occupation: Fireman, with the élite Spiderman rope and rescue squad

Bio: When this superior specimen of Morin Heights manhood isn't fighting fires or nagging people about having working batteries in their smoke alarms, he's swinging off of ropes rescuing the likes of fallen window washers, suicidal bridge jumpers and construction workers who've suddenly decided to have a heart attack while labouring 500 feet in the air. Working out of Station 27 in beautiful downtown Côte-des-Neiges, Daniel says he absolutely adores his gig "because it's a new challenge every day" and that most Spidermen are "really into action." He drives a 2003 Honda Civic.

The number of Spidermen generally dispatched to any given call: 15. "It takes more guys than you think to do this. You need negotiators, people to install the [safety] ropes, a couple of guys to set up [the super-duper mat that will cushion falls from as high as 65 feet in the air]. It's a major operation."

Is there a busy season for Spidermen? "No, it's never consistent. You can be really busy one week and then not get any calls for a month."

On slow months do he and the other Spidermen ever get bored and find themselves hoping people will soon start trying to kill themselves? "Nah, we're training all the time, so even without calls, we see action."

The most popular local spot for jumpers: The Jacques-Cartier Bridge. "Although it's gotten a lot better since they put up barriers."

One effect the barriers have had: Fewer suicide calls to the Spiderman squad with more people choosing to be crushed by metro trains.

Another good place to spot jumpers - if you're so inclined: The roofs of mental health institutions. "These are some of the very hardest interventions for us."

Why? Try negotiating with a suicidal schizophrenic sometime.

Is he ever in danger of plummeting to his death along with the person he's trying to save? No. "There's always risk but we take very serious safety precautions. And we never try to catch somebody [before they can jump]. It's always a process of negotiation."

Has anybody ever considered his plea to "choose life" and opted to jump anyway? "No, but it's happened to other guys here."

Might that be something of an emotional bummer? "Yes, but we have counselling services available to us should we need them."

Has any suicidal individual ever told him such a sad and hopeless story that he's had second thoughts about trying to discourage them from jumping? Not yet.

The hardest place to rescue people: Mount Royal Park. "The worst thing is actually finding the person. I mean, it's a forest, so that can be hard right there. People are always falling off the mountain, especially by the East Side lookouts. There aren't many suicides there, but people get drunk and fall a lot."

Last book read: The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown.

Words of wisdom: "I just can't say enough bad things about that stupid war in Iraq."

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