Training, recruitment and retention are three key areas of focus identified for Powell River Regional District’s four volunteer fire departments.
The regional district contracted consulting firm Salis Enterprises in May to perform a review of local fire service in rural electoral areas, including Malaspina, Northside, Savary Island and Lasqueti volunteer fire departments. Regional district manager of emergency services Ryan Thoms said the review initially focused on recruitment of new volunteers.
“While we’re fortunate to have a lot of volunteers, none of our fire departments are at the point where we’d like to be in membership,” said Thoms. “We know volunteering is tremendously rewarding, but we aren’t see lineups at the doors, either.”
Thoms described his volunteers as “unpaid professionals.”
Regional District board chair and Electoral Area A director Patrick Brabazon said the board’s highest priority is supporting staff to move forward with the review’s recommendations to ensure volunteers receive the right training.
“All across the province volunteer fire departments have to meet the new standard and we have very little room to maneuver,” said Brabazon.
Thoms explained that firefighting practice has increasingly been focused on improving training and safety, but not all departments are at that same level.
“We know this is not just a question of how do we attract people to volunteer their time,” said Thoms. “It’s also about us ensuring our firefighters are getting the training they need in order to do their job.”
Thoms said he recognizes it will be a longterm project, but by the end of 2018 he hopes to have a training plan that brings the four departments into compliance with expected service levels.
