Ensuring that there are enough volunteers trained and available to respond within local fire and emergency services for the East Hants municipality is an ongoing struggle.
“You can never have enough bodies,” said Deputy Chief Michael Wood of Elmsdale Fire & Emergency Services.
There’s 330 volunteer firefighters across the collective fire services for East Hants, who answered 2,200 calls for service in 2023.
Increasing that roster would allow for better odds of getting good response at any time of day — to everyone’s benefit.
“Our typical numbers are anywhere from one to five new people who may show an interest in the fire service,” said Wood. “Of those five people, say in any given year, you may only retain one or two.”
With volunteers aging out of service or moving out of the area, there’s a constant need for fresh blood to replete the responders that the community is losing.
“The fire service and the volunteers really help make the fabric of any community,” said East Hants Director of Corporate Services Adam Clarkson.
“Having volunteers being able to respond to emergency services is important for our residents and delivering the services that are needed and expected by our residents.”
In collaboration between the municipality of East Hants and it’s 13 volunteer fire departments, a recruitment video has been funded to encourage community members to join.
“The fire chiefs had brought forward the suggestion of creating a recruitment video, so the council put it in this past year’s budget and we’ve supported it along the way,” said Clarkson. “And it’s really an important tool for them to help reach out to the communities throughout the municipality.”
Wood said being a ‘bedroom community’ makes recruiting that much more difficult.
“We have a lot of people who live here, that don’t necessarily work here,” said Wood. “So, while they may be here in the evenings and it might be easy for them to respond to a fire call…if they’re working in the city or elsewhere, they have other demands, they can’t be available.”
Wood said that’s the case for rural communities right across the province.
Now, he’s asking community members to step up — as the need is always there.
“This is a really great community, all of East Hants, and so to be able to give back is a small thing. But it’s a big thing.”