LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
The Fort Simpson Volunteer Fire Department is once again holding a recruitment drive in the hopes of attracting new members.
Pat Rowe, right, watches as Calvin Spencer participates in the vehicle extrication exercise that the Fort Simpson Volunteer Fire Department held last March as part of a recruitment drive. The department is holding a second recruitment drive April 27 and 28 in the hopes of getting more members. - photo courtesy of Roger Pilling
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The department held its first recruitment drive complete with an orientation weekend last March. This year, the two-day event will take place on April 27 and 28.
In the past, the department was able to rely on word of mouth and personal connections to recruit new members, said Roger Pilling, the village's fire chief. With numbers falling, the department began holding recruitment drives as a way to get in contact with the wider community, he said.
"It's always tough to try and get people to come out," he said.
Pilling hopes this year's event will convince five to six village residents to join the department. The department currently has between 11 and 12 active members. Having 16 active members would would be a more ideal number, he said.
No previous experience or training is required to join the department, Pilling said. Recruits do need a certain degree of physical ability in order to assist with fighting fires and doing ambulance calls.
Other roles need to be filled
Not every recruit, however, has to aspire to become a front-line firefighter or a paramedic. There are other roles that need to be filled, including running the pumper truck or changing the air tanks on self-contained breathing apparatus during a fire, he said.
"If you want to come and take part, we can find something for everybody," said Pilling.
On April 27, the first day of the recruitment weekend, the department will spend approximately three hours starting at 10 a.m. providing an orientation about what the department does and what is expected of members.
On April 28, the department plans to do a live burn demonstration, which will double as a training exercise for existing members.
"Hopefully we get some interest," he said.
Five people participated in last year's orientation weekend.
Pilling said there's no pressure for participants to join the department.
"If they come back the next meeting, we're happy," he said.
Being able to help someone who needs assistance and is in a position where they can't help themselves is what Pilling enjoys the most about being part of the department.
Volunteering with the department is about serving the community, he said. Some people don't join because they're afraid they'll have to respond to a call involving a family member, but
Pilling said the chance to help someone you know should be all the more reason to volunteer.
"Your community needs you to help them," he said.
Pilling also likes the camaraderie that comes with being part of the department. The department holds a number of social events throughout the year to bring members and their families together.
Members of the department also get lots of valuable training, particularly first aid training, that can be helpful at home and in the workplace, he said.
Fort Simpson is fortunate to have the fire department, Pilling said. Outside of Fort Liard and Fort Providence, many of the smaller communities in the Deh Cho have a fire truck, but don't have enough people trained to use it in the case of an emergency, he said.
