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Join a fire department

Fire departments throughout the South Cariboo are recruiting firefighters

Fire departments throughout the South Cariboo are recruiting firefighters and they’re looking for people who care about their families, neighbours and communities.

Our community fire departments' firefighter numbers are falling because folks get too old to handle the workload or they move away from the community.

In fact, there have been a few fire departments that came very close to shutting down because they didn’t have the numbers to keep the fire halls open.

When a fire department closes its doors, they seldom open again, and without firefighters, there is no trained fire response – especially troubling for small, rural communities that dot the South Cariboo.

For the folks who own homes or cottages in or around these small communities, fire insurance premiums go through the roof if there isn’t a fire department nearby.

Recently, one area fire department had to suspend its First Responder program because it no longer had enough qualified (medical aid) first responders for 24/7 coverage.

Every fire department in the South Cariboo needs younger people to sign up because a lot of the volunteer firefighters are starting to get a little long in the tooth, and some are ready to pass the torch on to the next generation.

Being a firefighting is challenging because there is a lot to learn; however, every fire department has a trainer to teach folks how to fight fires safely and efficiently.

This is a great time to join because fire departments are upgrading and training to a minimum standard of training required for fire services personnel throughout the province.

And every firefighter is willing to pass on a few tips and a lot of encouragement for newcomers.

This is part of the reward of becoming a firefighter – the camaraderie amongst firefighters, but there is also a good feeling of quietly serving community.

Folks who don’t feel they’re physically able to serve as firefighters can help their fire departments in other ways.

Fundraising is the key to the success and growth of every fire department, so there’s plenty of room for more volunteers.

If folks are too busy with work or other chores to join the fire department as a firefighter or volunteer, they can work on their own property to help keep the community safer.

They can clear a 10-metre perimeter around their homes and cottages by getting rid of the combustible vegetation – trees and bushes.

This will decrease the risk of interface fires spreading from home to home in their communities.

To learn more more about becoming a firefighter, volunteering with the fire department auxiliary or protecting your homes from interface fires, contact your local community fire department.