ESTEVAN — The Estevan Fire Rescue Service (EFRS) is looking to bolster its ranks.
The fire department's annual recruitment drive is underway. Prospective firefighters can pick up an application form at the EFRS building. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The deadline is Aug. 29.
Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Luc told Â鶹ÊÓƵ the fire department currently has 20 active firefighters, and it would like to be in the high 20s. The department typically brings in six recruits at a time. They used to have a folder filled with applications.
"We just don't see that any more," said Luc.
Some of their members have moved away or have other commitments, so they can no longer put the necessary time in.
"This year we're opening it up for a few months," said Luc. "Usually we do it for a month, but this year we decided to advertise for a few months and take some different avenues, like talking to the media and stuff like that, however we can get the word out there that we're hiring, and see if we can attract some new talent."
A member of the fire department should have a willingness to learn, be physically fit and have a desire to help the community, among other traits, Luc said. Once hired, recruits will go through approximately 40-50 hours of basic training so they can start showing up and contributing on training nights.
"So they'll go through ropes and knots, ladders, fire hoses, things like that, basic stuff," said Luc. "And as they work along, then they start into their NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] training, so that is your professional firefighter qualifications."
A lot of the training occurs in-house, and then the members are tested by the province, he said. When they're finished, they receive a gold seal for a Level 2 10-01-certified firefighter, which is the same standard as those in larger centres like Regina and Saskatoon. It typically takes about two years to complete the training, he said.
"When you come aboard, you're joining a part of a family. We spend a lot of time together here, so you're coming into an organization where we do a lot of things together as a family. We have our barbecues every year. We're always out and about in the community together," said Luc.
The members are paid on-call firefighters, not volunteers. Luc said when they are called to the station for a call or training, they are paid an hourly rate each month by the city.
"On average, we do approximately 250 calls a year, plus our training sessions that are every second Tuesday night for two hours. So, it all depends on the applicants' availability with family, work and things of that nature."
He estimates someone could put in at least 250 hours per year with the EFRS.
Luc has been part of Estevan's fire department for 16 years. He started as a paid on-call firefighter in Alberta in 2002.
"When I went in, I was just like these people coming in that are applying, a little unsure what I was getting into. I had a chance to start as a junior guy through a work experience program in high school, and once I did that, I caught the bug a little bit, and I was offered a position back in the community I was from in Alberta," said Luc.
Being a firefighter has turned into a fantastic career for Luc, and he says he is lucky enough he gets to do it for a career.
