As part of its annual recruitment efforts, Rocky View County (RVC) Fire Services is seeking volunteer paid-per-call firefighters to fill several positions within the department prior to a deadline of Dec. 18.
According to newly appointed fire chief Ken Hubbard, after inspecting the department’s numbers at each of their stations, an annual search is conducted to fill various volunteer positions and vacancies.
He said the position must fit the individual’s lifestyle and work environment to meet some of the requirements of the job before an applicant is accepted.
“A lot of people that get into it may not be able to meet some of the requirements and they might move on,” Hubbard said. “We do have a certain amount of turnover with a lot of members that either have changes in their work life or family life, or they move on to a different career and it takes them away from the community.”
As a result, the fire chief said RVC must recruit new members to “backfill” those positions at three of RVC’s fire stations, including Madden, Irricana, and Langdon.
He said at the Madden and Irricana fire stations, there are approximately 20 volunteer paid-per-call firefighters on hand, and the departments are looking to recruit new members to keep those numbers up as a result of a 10 to 15 per cent turnover each year.
“We’ve lost a few to attrition, for people having different commitments of work, family, or they’re moving away from those communities,” Hubbard stated. “We look to backfill annually to make sure we have adequate response during the day for those areas.”
Langdon’s fire station operates a little bit differently than the others, with a maximum of 40 volunteer firefighters at any given time throughout the year.
“They are a very busy station and they do have a good population that is very involved in the fire service within their community,” he said. “This year is one of the first years post-COVID that we’ve gone back to three departments – all volunteer departments for recruitment.”
He added a key requirement of the position is location, as applicants must reside within 15 minutes of that jurisdiction and corresponding fire department as a responder.
Previous experience is also an asset for all applicants, though not necessarily a requirement.
“We’d always look at members that had some experience in first aid and CPR, but we do provide training for fire suppression, some rescue initiatives for helping with motor vehicle collisions and water rescue, as well as for first aid and CPR,” Hubbard said. “We’d make sure they had those skills as they come in.”
Hubbard added successful applicants can help contribute to the team while working towards getting qualified professional firefighter qualifications, which they work towards in their first and second year with the department.
Other criteria include a minimum age requirement – applicants must be at least 18 years old – and having a clean record and medical clearance and a driver’s abstract. Applicants are also required to have licenses to drive a Class 5 and Class 3 vehicle.
RVC also wants its firefighters to be physically fit and able to wear protective equipment when performing firefighting duties, according to Hubbard.
He said the position is also a great “resume builder” for young people looking to break into a career as a full-time firefighter, or someone already in the industry looking for additional experience.
“The training and experience that we give them is a great first step in their career as a full-time firefighter,” he said.
According to Hubbard, paid-per-call volunteer firefighters are very important to the department, as well as to the communities they serve.
“Our volunteers spend a large part of their own time, sometimes to help support the volunteer community and some of the volunteer initiatives that go on inside the organization as part of the fire service,” he said. “So, they’re very involved in their communities.”
According to Hubbard, applicants will need to make 25 per cent of annual calls to stay in good standing with the department, as well as attend 65 per cent of annual training sessions, which usually happen weekly or biweekly, depending on the station.
“At the end of the day, it’s exciting to be part of this. Fire services is not just going to fires, it’s playing a role in their communities as firefighters,” Hubbard said.
“There’s fire prevention aspects that help you get into the community, schools, and groups helping to build experience through building inspections and growth in the communities, being part of the community.”
He said attending fires and medical calls is one aspect of the job, but being a regular part of the community and building relationships with fellow firefighters is a bigger part.
“There’s some camaraderie and some teamwork,” he said. “That's a big part of the experience and giving back to the community and always gaining some experience and development transfer skill they can learn and use in another career opportunity or other aspects of their life.”
Hubbard said volunteer firefighters can expect to be on call for three hours a week and will be notified via a pager system through their phones.
He concluded by correcting a misconception that RVC’s volunteer firefighters are not paid.
“They are reimbursed for some of their time they take away from other activities, their family, and their community,” Hubbard said, adding they are also paid for time spent in training to keep up with their skills.
Those interested in learning more about the position are encouraged to apply through the Rocky View County website.
