PASS LAKE — The future of small rural fire departments that respond to everything from wildfires to serious vehicle crashes near Thunder Bay are in jeopardy as some departments continue to struggle to recruit volunteers and meet provincial training requirements.
"We could potentially have no fire suppression out here, which could impact your house insurance," Pass Lake fire chief Alex Pyne said this week.
Pyne said provincial officials want his department to have at least eight firefighters; Pass Lake currently has six.
Only two of those, including Pyne, possess the provincial Firefighter Level 1 designation. That means that at the scene of a fire or accident on the Trans-Canada Highway, firefighters without it may be limited in the duties they can perform.
Pyne said while training is available, few volunteers have the considerable time to commit to it.
"People have jobs, and if they get two weeks off from their employer, they want to spend that time with their families," he noted.
The challenges Pass Lake's fire department faces are to be discussed at a public meeting set for June 14.
Nolalu fire Chief Sarah Shoemaker said Pyne's predicament is familiar.
"I personally know of four (rural fire departments) that have expressed very similar sentiments and concerns of having to close their department, and that is not including Pass Lake," said Shoemaker, who is also the mutual-aid coordinator for firefighting services in the Thunder Bay district.
MPP Kevin Holland, who was a volunteer firefighter for more than two decades, said "I understand the recruitment and retention pressures small departments face."
"I've been hearing from communities about how local volunteer fire departments are working together sharing resources, training, and support to keep these vital services strong and sustainable," added Holland (Thunder Bay-Atikokan).
Shoemaker said recruitment challenges and other pressures "have significantly escalated" since Holland was a firefighter.
"I have heard no stories of resource-sharing, unless (Holland) is referring to mutual aid, which as the mutual aid coordinator of the district, I can tell you, is being overused as a stop gap measure," Shoemaker said.
If rural volunteer fire departments can't survive, the province may need to consider a regional firefighting-force model for outlying areas, Shoemaker said.
The Chronicle-Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
