Yellowknife (May 22/06) - At least one community in the NWT is worried after charges were laid against the City of Yellowknife when two firefighters died last year.

"We hope it doesn't happen to us, but it's possible," Paulatuk mayor Ray Ruben said.

Paulatuk relies on a volunteer fire department, but Ruben said because the community is so small, there isn't a list of dedicated volunteers or adequate equipment.

The firefighters haven't received any formal training since the 1980s, Ruben said.

Many small communities, like Aklavik and Fort Liard, use volunteer firefighters, Mary Nickson, administrative assistant at the Aklavik hamlet said.

"It's working well for us," Nickson said.

Fire marshal Bernie Van Tighem said there are more than 350 volunteer firefighters across the NWT. He said there are many training programs offered for volunteers both in communities and regionally.

But reaching everyone isn't possible.

"We're certainly not getting to all of them," he said.

Van Tighem added that training is something communities are asking for saying, "when we travel to communities, they're asking what they can do to better themselves," he said.

There will be about 20 training sessions held in various locations throughout the territories this year, Van Tighem said.

"To become a National Fire Protection Association (NFP) 1001 certified, it's 11 continuous weeks of training," Van Tighem said.

"What we're offering here is the first couple of weeks of that training," he said.

Training will include defensive firefighting and skills to wear and use firefighting gear and the maintenance of breathing apparatus.

In response to this concern, the NWT Association of Communities held a session hosted by the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) at its annual general meeting Tuesday in Yellowknife.

The meeting highlighted the role of the WCB, as well as the legislation all employers must adhere to in order to protect their workers.

Around 100 people attended the 30-minute session. According to the WCB - the body responsible for laying the charges - volunteers for bands, councils, or municipalities are considered employees. When asked if volunteer firefighters are covered by WCB legislation, president and CEO David Clark said yes.

"It they are acting in that capacity, they are considered employees of the municipalities," Clark said at the presentation.

This means communities will be held responsible should anything happen to the volunteers while on the job.

Clark said 40 workers have died in industrial accidents in the North in the last five years, with three being civil servants employed by communities.

Two of those deaths happened last year when a storage shed collapsed on top of two Yellowknife firefighters.

The city was charged with not providing adequate training and failing to follow all safety precautions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This act, mirrored in Nunavut, governs all employers in the North.

Clark said he understood many communities in the North have trouble filling "key positions" in their municipalities or cannot follow all safety regulations due to lack of staff and support.

This is the problem that Ruben said is the heart of the matter.

He'd like to see the WCB do more than simply visit communities, but instead offer comprehensive support to ensure the safety of community employees.

"We need the WCB's help," he said.

Last year, WCB employees visited all communities in Nunavut and 80 per cent of the communities in the NWT, said Clark.