With three generations of family firefighting before him, joining a volunteer fire department was not a particularly hard sell for Rob Evans.
But with most Albertans not having such family histories, Evans and the chiefs of the 450 other volunteer fire departments in the province face an ongoing challenge getting people to sign up to join their crews.
Eighty per cent — about 10,000 — of all firefighters in the province are volunteers, and Evans’ department in Redwood Meadows west of Calgary is one of the best in the province at bringing in newcomers to the ranks. He said the department averages about 40 applicants per year, from which fewer than half are accepted.
But, overall, it can be a tough slog signing people up for a job that encompasses potential danger and features little remuneration, if any at all.
“It’s certainly harder than it was 30 or 40 years ago,” said Evans, “When my dad and uncles joined, it was an old boys’ club. I remember the bar in the fire hall. It was a way for guys to get together and do something for the community.”
Today, he said, the culture in departments is much more professional and the requirements more strict.
“Being volunteer isn’t an excuse to not be professional,” he said.
And even if Evans sees more success than most in recruitment, retaining the young male “action seekers” who are the usual recruits is a challenge. In the last eight years, his department has lost 15 people who have moved on to bigger opportunities, something he says he is proud of.
“We’re a farm team to the Calgaries or the Edmontons. As small, volunteer chiefs, we have to recognize that. That’s just the reality. Guys that want to be firefighters in the big cities are going to use us to get some training, to get some experience, and to use it as a resumé builder.”
That retention challenge, though, is also an opportunity, as it means the recruits will be eager to learn and willing to work hard, he said.
Following Evans’ talk at the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA) conference at The Sheraton Hotel in Red Deer, recruitment strategies were discussed, from a high school work experience program to simply being loud and proud in one’s community. To help bolster the ranks, the AFCA is set to engage on a broad advertising campaign, making materials available to rural departments for their own use.
AFCA executive director Bill Purdy said the recruitment situation in the province has actually improved in the last few years, but there are still cases in the province where departments don’t have adequate manpower to cover the daylight hours.
Purdy said an AFCA goal is to hold an official annual recruitment week starting in 2014.
mfish@www.reddeeradvocate.com