It’s 10 p.m. and you wake up to the sound of your smoke alarm going off.
You scramble to make sure you get yourself and family out of the house. Thankfully, your children remembered their fire safety lesson given to them by the local
fire department and they are outside at the family meeting place.
You dial 9-1-1, and when asked what your emergency is, you frantically respond, “My house is on fire,” only to hear the operator respond, “Sorry you do not have a local fire department.”
No one is responding, you think, and then recall seeing the news story about the volunteer fire department ceasing to operate a few months back. It was something about not enough members to keep the department going.
You wonder why no one stepped up and volunteered; surely there must be enough people in our community who would be interested in being a volunteer firefighter.
Maybe you should take a moment and ask yourself, “Why didn’t I do it?”
Granted, firefighting is not for everyone. You need to be in decent physical condition.
You need a few hours a week to devote to training and learning how to safely respond to emergency incidents. You need to be a caring and compassionate person who has a strong desire to help your community.
The work of a firefighter is hot, sweaty, dirty and strenuous, and it’s all combined with the hazardous environment it is performed in.
What would happen if our community did not have a fire department?
The answer is you would notice a huge increase in insurance premiums.
You probably wouldn’t notice anything else until you or a member of your family or a neighbour needed it, then no matter how much your insurance costs go up, you will still need the assistance of a fire department.
Who would respond to the structure fire, grass fire, motor-vehicle incident or that medical issue when the ambulance is delayed or on another call?
The answer is no one! The fire may grow to threaten additional structures, the patient would remain trapped and may not get medical attention soon enough!
100 Mile House Fire-Rescue is actively recruiting firefighters for our 2012 Recruit Program. We need up to six new firefighters.
We are seeking dynamic men and women over the age of 18 and under the age of 60 who would like to be part of something great. Being part of the fire service is an incredible experience that provides lots of rewards and self-satisfaction.
Why join your local fire department?
Before we can answer that question, you need to ask yourself: Are you looking for a challenging experience that involves helping your community and neighbours? Do you want to experience community service at its greatest and most satisfying? Do you want to give back to your community? Have you ever wondered about being a firefighter?
If you answered yes to these questions, then we have the perfect experience for you and a great way for you to give back to your community.
Join us at 7 p.m. on March 29 at the 100 Mile Fire Hall for a Recruiting Open House to get the answers to why you should join the fire department and what you get out of being a local volunteer firefighter.
100 Mile House Fire-Rescue responds, on average, to 250 incidents per year ranging from structure fires to motor-vehicle incidents and medical aids.
We train every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m., and have several additional training sessions throughout the year.
We provide all the training, all the protective equipment and the incredible experiences all at no cost to you. All we require from you is your time and commitment.
For more information on being a member of 100 Mile House Fire-Rescue, contact fire chief Darrell Blades at 250-395-2152 or dblades@dist100milehouse.bc.ca.
Check us out at www.100milefire.com.
