Volunteers come in all shapes, sizes, and vocations. What they all have in common is the desire to help their communities.
Some collect food and distribute it to those in need, others organize charitable events to raise money for community organizations, while a select few put their lives on the line as volunteer firefighters.
In Canada, volunteers make up approximately 71 per cent of firefighters. According to the Canadian Fire Service in Ontario, over 94 per cent of communities rely on volunteer firefighters for at least part of their emergency response. Of these, 75 per cent are in departments that serve communities with populations of less than 25,000—such as Haliburton County.
In the Highlands, there are four fire departments: Algonquin Highlands, commanded by acting chief Chris Shelly, Minden Hills by chief Don Kruger, Dysart et al by chief Dan Chumbley, and Highlands East by chief Chris Baughman.
Kruger, from the Minden Hills fire hall, explains that they currently have 18 firefighters and four captains. Meanwhile, deputy chief Stacey Parish, from the Dysart et al fire hall, reports that although there is room for 32 volunteer firefighters, they presently have 28.
“We have absolutely fantastic volunteers,” Parish said.
Kenny Briggs and Jarrod Spooner are volunteer firefighters at the Dysart et al fire hall. Both maintain full-time day jobs— Briggs works at Dimensions Algonquin Highlands, and Spooner runs his own property maintenance company—but they never hesitate to answer the call.
“I work full-time, but when the pager goes off, I usually answer the call,” said Briggs. “It is all about the initial effort and dedication.”
Spooner echoed that sentiment, adding that the passion for helping others and the camaraderie among firefighters are key factors in the enjoyment and satisfaction of the work.
Parish: job hard but ‘so worth it’
Both Briggs and Spooner have logged over 100 hours already this year.
Pat Kitcheman, a volunteer from the Minden Hills fire hall, has responded to more than 44 calls in the first quarter of this year. “Being my own boss, I have the freedom to answer the calls when they come in,” Kitcheman said.
While some volunteer firefighters mentioned that joining had been something they always wanted to do, Kitcheman joined for a different reason.
“I witnessed a fire down my road and was intrigued by watching the responders—I thought, that’s something I could do.” He added that, although he initially knew little about firefighting, he adopted the “that looks interesting, let’s give it a try” rule of thumb. “I have completed all of the training and continue to obtain as many additional certifications as I can.”
Shelly explained that the hiring process and provincially-mandated certification program is quite in-depth.
“The standard requirements we follow come from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and from February to June we run a County-wide training program that brings recruits from across Haliburton County together,” Shelly said.
Jenn McGovern, a volunteer from the Minden Hills department and the first female captain Minden Hills has ever had, noted that the recruitment school fosters relationships with other departments in the community.
“We are like a family that always has each other’s backs. We get to observe the new recruits’ skills, which is really helpful when we respond to mutual calls.”
Despite having a full-time job as a correctional officer and teaching at both the recruitment school and sometimes even at the high school, McGovern still likes to get her hands on the hose.
“Typically, I attend a callout in a supervisory position, and as a captain it is sometimes hard to step back and let my crew do their job because I still like to get my hands dirty,” she said.
Haliburton County is one of many regions that rely on the dedication and continuous training of volunteer firefighters to keep everyone safe. When a call goes out, it is answered by those who have committed themselves to helping others—on what can sometimes be the worst day of their lives.
Although the work can be challenging, Dysart’s Parish believes it’s “so worth it.”