ESTEVAN — The Estevan Fire Rescue Service is looking for a few new dedicated members to bolster its ranks.
The department will be actively recruiting new firefighters in the fall. They teamed up with local videographer Gord More on a video in an effort to take a different approach to recruiting.
"He did a bunch of filming throughout the spring and summer of us, when we would do practice burns on grass fires and stuff like that. He got a bunch of footage and he's been putting it all together," said Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Luc.
The fire department hoped to launch the video at its Fire Prevention Week open house on Oct. 10.
"We thought maybe it's a tool to assist us in showing people," said Luc. "You can come and pick up the piece of paper and have a look at the trucks, but to see some of the behind-the-scenes, what happens, how we do things, the camaraderie, it might give people a chance to see it and say 'Let's try that out," said Luc.
The EFRS will likely take applications until the middle of November, giving people a month to apply for the firefighter's job.
The department currently has 23 paid on-call firefighters. An ideal number would be in the high 20s or even 30, a number they have been close to in the past.
"It depends on the people, but it's quality versus quantity," said Fire Chief Rick Davies.
"We can have 30 people on the floor, but if we only have 10 people that show up and are willing to do a decent job for the fire department and for the citizens of Estevan, then it doesn't make much sense for us [to have so many]," said Luc.
The EFRS typically doesn't accept new recruits on an individual basis unless someone comes to them with firefighting experience, which happened recently after the addition of Austin Dovell, who has firefighting experience in Carlyle and obtained his professional certification at Parkland College in Melville.
"Traditionally we like to bring on a group of people to work and focus on training and stuff, and a group of four to six is a very comfortable normal," said Davies.
Not only should the prospective firefighter have dedication, but the individual should also have integrity and be a team player. Availability is also important.
"It's one thing to come in here and be interested, but we do have attendance standards," said Luc. "We have to train to make sure that we're always prepared, so that is one part of it. We are a fairly active department. We train lots. We need people that can dedicate the time to the position rather than just fill a bunk," said Luc.
The fire department will receive four or five calls for service in an average week. Members will also appear at community events and attend bi-weekly training sessions.
They get to be part of the community and they are paid for their time, so the potential is there to make some extra money. The training they receive helps them work towards their National Fire Protection Association 1001 certification, which is recognized throughout North America.
The recruiting class that started with the EFRS 18 months ago will write their Level 2 1001 later this month, which would allow them to become professional firefighters. Luc said the training is a lot, and if someone went to school for it, it would be $13,000-$15,000 for school, plus books and rent.
An 18-month timeframe to attain Level 2 is shorter than normal, they said, as it can take two to three years. A lot of the bookwork is done on their own time and at home, as there is a lot of it, Luc said.
"We can do as much in-house training and prepare them and get them to JPRs (job performance requirements), but we have to send to an outside agency to get the certified testing, and then … we were able to get on with one department that's testing but it will vary throughout the years."
Being part of the fire department also creates a sense of satisfaction, and there is the camaraderie associated with it.
"It's definitely one big family," said Luc. "We do a lot throughout the year, outside of the public events and stuff. In house, we have our barbecues and Christmas parties and awards ceremonies, and recognizing people that have done good things and long-term employees."
