TETLIT'ZHEH/FORT MCPHERSON - A call for help crackles through Norm Firth's hand-held fire radio and he rushes to the scene, hoping there's a crew of firefighters ready to go when he arrives - that's all he can do.

Fort McPherson fire chief Norm Firth, seen here in the foreground of a house fire in June 2010, has been with the department nearly 30 years and he's always "on the go." - photo courtesy of Toby Neuendorf

He's one of few Fort McPherson residents these days willing to rush into burning buildings with a moment's notice.

"It's pretty hard to enrol firefighters. Sometimes, it's just me and a couple of other guys responding," he said.

It's been a decade since Firth stepped up as Fort McPherson's fire chief, a promotion he earned after a previous 17 years with the department. When asked what's kept him in the job so long, the 49-year-old paused to think.

"I don't know!" he finally chuckled. "I guess nobody else wants the position, let's put it that way."

But Firth's dedication to serving his hometown has long been one of his defining characteristics, rooted in childhood. His father was a volunteer firefighter and young Firth dreamed of one day joining the ranks.

Beaufort Delta assistant fire marshal Greg Zimmerman, who has worked with Firth for three years, has the utmost respect for the chief, who was also a winner of the 2007 NWT Fire Service Merit Award. He also said he's too modest.

"He's one of the best fire chiefs that I know of," Zimmerman said.

"He's very caring, very compassionate. He takes the interest and the safety of the community to heart," he added. "Norm is the type of a guy that will go down to the fire hall, take the truck out, and put the ladder up to a house to get some child's toy off the roof."

Unfortunately, the number of those who share Firth's dedication to the fire department appear to be dwindling.

"As a young person I always wanted to do something like that," he said. "I took an interest after I got out of high school. I came home and I never did move from here."

The number of volunteer firefighters at the hamlet goes "up and down," hitting its peak about five years ago with 11 members. Now, there are five - including a couple of new recruits who just moved to town.

Firth said he's constantly trying to join up new firefighters, taking the fire truck for demo spins around town and putting up notices inviting everyone to the department's weekly Wednesday meetings.

He's even hoping to work with Chief Julius School to start up a high school level firefighters' training course for senior students.

"It's been a real battle trying to get something going," Firth said, adding chiefs from across the territory spoke of similar problems during an NWT fire chief conference in Yellowknife last month, where they also agreed to set up a regional firefighters training centre in Inuvik.

"All the fire chiefs that I talked to are having the same problem. They're getting no volunteers."

That doesn't mean community residents don't rally together in an emergency, though big fires don't happen often.

There have been some destructive fires in the past, but the biggest Firth remembers was in January 1997 when arsonists burned the school.

"That was the biggest fire we ever fought," he said. "We get all different kinds of fires. Sometimes it's straightforward. Sometimes you come to a fire with no information. That's when you might get nervous because you don't know if there's anybody in the house or if there's dangerous goods involved."

The crew most recently responded to a call at a home where someone had left a pot on the stove too long.

There was no fire, only smoke.

Firth said Fort McPherson hasn't had a big fire in two and a half years - at an empty home where no one was hurt and firefighters were able to salvage part of the building. But even then, about 15 residents showed up willing to help when they saw the flames.

"When we have a fire, everybody comes 'round and wants to help. But when it comes to fire meetings and fire practices, nobody comes out," Firth said. "The ones that volunteer to come out to meetings and practices, those are the ones you're going to depend on."

During the day Firth works as an equipment operator for the hamlet, but he said he remains committed to his responsibilities as chief. He wants to see the department grow.

"It's very important. As a fire chief you have to keep trying to get people out, even if we don't have a fire, because some time we might have a big fire. You never know what can come up," Firth said. "You've got to be pretty well on the go all the time."

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