The Township of Huron Kinloss hosted a successful recruitment event to find volunteer firefighters. The event was held at the firehall in Lucknow Monday evening.
Fire Chief Jeff Bradley said a recruitment campaign will run to the end of February, as the Township seeks about eight new volunteers. Four firefighters are needed in Lucknow, and four in Ripley.
So far, four new volunteers have made the commitment in Lucknow and one for Ripley.
Volunteers need to be at least 18 years old, and able to work in an active role. They will be required to complete mandatory training over a two year period, with the cost covered by the township.
Bradley pointed out the fire department currently has about 44 volunteer firefighters. He said for many volunteers, it's about a passion to give back to their communities.
"Volunteers bring an immense value and expertise to the community. Their roles as first responders, and diverse skill sets, not only help in an emergency, but also enhance the well-being of the community," Bradley explained. "So, I think it's a big part of what people want to do, is to give back to the community, and this is a great way to do it."
Volunteers are paid an hourly wage for all calls they respond to, and all fire department training and activities.
"They're on call 24/7. Some are able to leave work during the emergency if they're close by," he added. "We do recognize the busy aspects of working family life. So basically, when they're available, they respond to emergencies and support their community."
Bradley said the department has a good cancer prevention program and decontamination process.
He added it's a stressful job, but there is support from Bruce County's Critical Stress Team.
"We do debriefings after each call, make sure that we're covering and providing all the necessary things for mental health," Bradley explained. "And that's in addition to our critical stress team. They provide that kind of debriefing when it comes to those critical instances"
Interested volunteers can find out more at an information session Tuesday, February 11, from 6 to 730 p.m. at the Ripley Firehall.
"There are nearly 90,000 volunteers serving with 410 out of the 441 fire departments in Ontario, meaning 90 per cent of our firefighters in Ontario are covered by municipalities with volunteer responders," Bradley revealed. "So it is a huge asset to the communities."