While volunteer firefighters see what they do as simply answering a call, many of us describe them as superheroes.
They’re the ones that run into a burning building to help, or extract someone out of a vehicle after a collision.
Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) Station 5 Cpt. Dustin Ruck believes there’s nothing more rewarding than being a volunteer firefighter.
“It’s a lot of fun, a great atmosphere, great people, we’re serving a better purpose, and we’re giving back to the community. But, at the end of the day, it’s a lot of fun and very rewarding to be able to help people in their darkest days.”
He added, “The community needs it. We all need it at some point in time, and it’s a needed service. It’s very rewarding to give back to the community. So many of us work and play here, our kids go to school here, we know these people. They’re family, friends, customers at our local businesses. To be able to go out and help them in the case of an emergency is extremely rewarding and something that I think everyone should attempt at some point in their life, whether it’s for them or not.”
When someone signs up to be a local volunteer, the only restriction is they have to be 18-years-old or above.
“It’s not rocket science,” said Capt. Dwayne Ethier, regional training and fire prevention officer. “It’s not superman or superwoman only… Some of our guys are supermen and some of our girls are the same way, and we’ve got some that aren’t. We just do what we can for the community that we serve, and that’s generally all that we ask of recruits.”
The training nights are every Tuesday evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the BRFA requests a 50 per cent attendance rate for the year.
“Obviously, we’d like to see more but we like to see people make the commitment,” Ethier noted. “Part of it has to do with the safety. If we’re not continuing with those skills, and we’re not doing the skills training then you lose them.”
During the recruitment class, which usually begins in January, newer members are slowly introduced to the field.
“They’re segregated until they get the basic skills needed to operate as an operational firefighter, and then they move on to become more part of a department,” Ethier said.
When a call comes in, anyone who’s available at the time is asked to respond.
“We allow people to make their own decision on what their priorities are. We recognize that family is obviously a priority, then there’s work because you have to support the family. Then the fire department might be a little bit further down the line, and that’s understandable,” Ethier explained.
A major benefit for someone looking to take up firefighting as a profession is the experience volunteering gives you.
“I generally try to tell the younger generations to join the department and to give me five years,” Ethier detailed. “I will give you the training, and you won’t have to pay for it.”
Through the recruitment process, trainees have access to courses and the 1001 certification through the BRFA. A member can do as much or as little as they like, which can assist them down the road.
“After five years, if they want to apply to full-time departments, if that’s part of their dream, we highly encourage them to and a lot of the times full-time departments are looking for that experience, certification, and training with volunteer departments,” noted Ethier.
For Bonnyville’s Station 5, they like to have their numbers hovering around 45 active members. Currently, they have just over 30.
Ruck said recruitment has been difficult in recent years due to the downturn in the economy.
“A lot of people don’t have the spare time, or the resources to be able to be volunteering right now.”
Ethier agreed.
“We sometimes have businesses that downsize, and they can’t let their employees go during the day to respond to fire calls. Some people have to take second jobs, and they just don’t have the time. All of those issues affect recruiting as well as manpower available for the fire service.”
The camaraderie among the members is one of Ruck’s favourite parts of volunteering.
“As a firefighter, we go through things and see things together that people aren’t supposed to see. That creates a bond. You hear about it in the military, and the police force about a brotherhood. I was a huge sceptic of it until I came into the fire service, and you start dealing with some bad calls… But, when you’re making a difference and saving someone’s life, there’s nothing more rewarding than to share that with other people that are participating. That’s a huge gift in my mind.”
For more information on joining the BRFA, call 780-826-4755.
