Officials at the District of Squamish Fire and Rescue are on the hunt for 10 new firefighters.
"We want to start training by Nov. 2," acting fire chief Russ Inouye said on Wednesday (Sept. 28).
Six career firefighters, including a deputy chief and captain, 47 paid, on-call volunteers and one administration employee make up the current local firefighting team.
That number should be bumped up within two weeks. Officials are close to naming a new fire chief, a position left vacant by the resignation of Tom Easterbrook this summer. If everything goes according to plan, the department's head count will be 65 - the same level as five years ago.
In 2006, after struggling to muster sufficient firefighters to incidents during weekdays and summer weekends, the department added 10 paid, on-call volunteer firefighters to its force of 50, according to the department's 2006 year-end report. The report also stated the department had five unionized, career firefighters.
At the time, Squamish had 14,949 residents. By 2009, its population grew to an estimated 17,181 people, according to B.C. Statistics.
The City of Port Alberni Fire Department currently has 23 career firefighters, including chief, but no volunteer members, Port Alberni's fire chief Tim Pley said.
The city's population sits at 17,743, according to Statistics Canada. Yet the department serves approximately 20,000 people when outlying areas are included, Pley said.
The department's one hall has been a career rather than volunteer unit since the 1970s, he said, noting that less densely populated areas tend to be served by auxiliary departments.
"Every department has evolved differently because they are local service," Pley said. "There is not a provincial template."
Twenty-three firefighters aren't always enough firefighters to cover off-duty members when attending emergencies, Pley said. In a perfect world, he said he would add 15 to 20 firefighters to his force. In general, a department can count on a third of its auxiliary members to attend an incident, he said.
"We never have less than four people on duty 24/7," he said, noting it's the number of firefighters required to permit them to enter a burning building.
Municipalities across the province are trying to keep costs down, Pley said. Different areas are comfortable with different service levels, but he warned that not maintaining appropriate staffing can backfire.
"It can go unnoticed for a while until you have a big event," he said.
Like Squamish's department, Salmon Arm's main fire hall is unmanned on weekends and evenings. With a population of just over 16,000, according to the 2006 census, the Salmon Arm Fire Department has four career firefighters and 73 paid-on-call volunteers who serve a 80-square-kilometre service area - 16 square km more than Squamish's department's service area.
Fifteen career firefighters, plus a paid fire chief and deputy chief, staff Prince Rupert's fire rescue service. The department recently took on two paid, on-call firefighters, but they're in training and can't yet serve alongside the career staff, Prince Rupert fire chief Dave McKenzie said.
The department has roughly the same service area as Squamish - 61.5 square km - but, according to stats, the community's has 4,997 fewer residents. However, Prince Rupert's service area includes Ridley Terminals, a busy international port that runs 24 hours a day.
Prince Rupert needs more auxiliary firefighters, McKenzie said. As most volunteer-based groups throughout B.C. are finding, it is difficult to recruit people, McKenzie said. Over the past 4 1/2 years, the department has seen 31 paid, on-call volunteers come and go.
"Everybody's lives are just too busy now," McKenzie said. "Now they just don't want to give up the time."
Fire halls, staffing and equipment levels are different all over the province, he said. Terrace, with a population of 11,320, has eight career firefighters and a chief, he noted, while Kitimat, with a population of 9,182 in 2008, is served by 16 career firefighters.
"There is no set standard that everybody follows," MacKenzie said. He said he would like to see guidelines in place by which population and industrial activity covered determine fire department staffing.
Joining the team
Application forms to become a volunteer firefighter in Squamish can be picked up at Fire Hall 2 at 40439 Tantalus Rd. The forms must be filled and returned before noon on Monday, Oct. 17. There will be an information session for all those interested on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Tantalus hall.
The fire department is also holding an open house at Hall 2 on Saturday, Oct. 15, from noon to 4 p.m. A volunteer application booth will be set up at the event. For more information call (604) 898-9666.
