It is something not often considered until the telltale acrid smell drifts through the house whispering of an electrical fire behind the walls, or a couch ignites after a cigarette rolls behind a cushion. The immediate response is to pick up the phone and call 911 for the fire department.
To watch these people—women and men alike—in action is truly inspiring. The commitment and dedication to what they do emulates the very definition of hero.
Most are volunteers. They do not get paid to be there saving the homes, businesses, schools and hospitals, the people that they attend.
Recently, volunteer firefighters across BC have started to feel the strain of services required by respective districts. They are being asked to take on more responsibility—some duties that, at first blush, seem outside the purview of what a firefighter should be reasonably expected to do.
Add to this that the falling numbers of volunteers results in higher home insurance rates and it all seems to be just another spoke in what is very near to being an overburdened cog.
There are roughly 350 independent fire departments in BC employing some 4,000 career firefighters and 10,000 volunteers. Of the total number of fire stations in the province, 170 of them operate in municipalities and regional districts. This means that the provincial government places the responsibility of firefighting with local governments. Despite this, federal agencies such as BC Hydro and the RCMP often call upon volunteer fire departments for assistance. Further, it is not uncommon for the local volunteer fire service to be first on scene at medical distress calls.
It is the chiefs and the assistant chiefs who look out for their members in matters of duty and expectation.
Those members included Don Dunn, a member of the Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department since 1976 who retired as fire chief in 2005. Prior to his death this week, Dunn donated much of his time to charity work and community service, often looking well beyond the needs of the department.
The relationship between fire fighters and Powell River Regional District is good and on even ground. The regional district advocates for the various departments. This does not, however, remove the numerous challenges that face volunteer fire departments around the region.
