The deadline to submit applications to join Terrace’s volunteer fire department is today, Jan. 14.
To give prospective recruits an idea of what a day in the life looks like, the Terrace Fire Department opened up their fire hall Jan. 8.
Six people attended the open house, met volunteer firefighters and got a guided tour of the fire hall. Deputy fire chief Dave Jephson says the turnout was lower than last year, though there are people stopping by to pick up applications in person.
“We’ve had steady people coming in to get applications from us over the last two weeks,” Jephson says.
READ MORE: Terrace fire department looking at ways to recruit and retain volunteers
Earlier this year the department organized a recruitment committee comprised of volunteer firefighters along with fire chief John Klie. The department is short about 10 volunteers because people have moved on or retired, and the committee is looking at a few ways to encourage people to join.
“It’s for everybody’s safety,” says Colin Willoner, captain of the Terrace Fire Department. “We do a lot of calls here, we average about 1,200 calls a year, but we need it to serve our community.”
To ease up on time commitments, training now takes place 15 or 16 weekends throughout the year, with Tuesday training once a week and summer vacation off. New recruits are first trained on how to handle exterior fires from February to June before moving on to interior fires in the fall.
READ MORE: Terrace Fire Dept breaks in new training facility
“In the past, a whole bunch of weekends crashed in before June and we’ve tried to get away from that,” Jephson says.
The deadline to submit is today, Jan. 14, with interviews starting Jan. 22 and training beginning the first week of February.
Applications can be picked up at the Terrace Fire Department, or accessed online. For more information, stop by the Terrace Fire Department or call 250-638-4734.
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