Volunteer firefighter shortage continues on P.E.I.
Alex MacIsaac | CBC News | Posted: November 15, 2021 10:00 AM | Last Updated: November 15, 2021
'It’s a 24/7 job and a lot of people just can’t commit to that anymore'
Some fire departments on P.E.I. say COVID-19 has made a shortage of volunteer firefighters even worse.
O'Leary Chief Ron Phillips, says firefighter numbers at his all-volunteer department are at their lowest level in the 31 years he's been involved.
He's even reached out to people to see if they'd be interested — with little success.
"I'd say half of them said, come back with the answer: come talk to me when COVID's done," Phillips said.
"I think it comes down to you know, their concern over their own health.… Currently, we're down four members, before COVID we had a full complement."
He said his department needs at least 15 firefighters to respond to a major fire, currently, they have 24.
COVID aside, he thinks people are just leading different lifestyles, he said.
"It's a 24/7 job and a lot of people just can't commit to that anymore."
At the Kinkora fire department, Chief Johnny Dugay said they're down four members from the normal 35 and have zero applicants.
"When I say we have 35 members, we don't always get 35 members reporting to a fire, because of job commitments, or vacation, or other things," Dugay said.
He, like Phillips, said changing lifestyles play a factor.
"The biggest issue that we're seeing in Kinkora is that the other interests or organizations are taking our members' time away from being able to respond and be involved heavily with the Kinkora fire department."
Dugay said camaraderie is what keeps people in the department.
"To be able to work together with a family and make a difference in somebody's life I think that's what draws people."
Besides that, Dugay said there are some material perks to the job too.
"Our fire department, they get a small honorarium, which would help to offset the cost that the firefighters would have when responding to calls or going to training, such as gas or time away from their job," he said.
"Also, each firefighter gets their vehicle registration and their driver's licence covered by the province."
It's like a family
Doran Barrett, a student at Holland College's professional firefighting program and volunteer at the Cross Roads fire department in Stratford, says joining was one of the best choices he's ever made.
"Incredible group of guys and gals around there, amazing serving the community with such great people," Barrett said.
Normally they take in about one or two people a year. When he started over a year ago, about six members joined.
"You're just never going find that brotherhood or sisterhood with people working a desk job. You just won't find that."