The Steinbach Fire Department is, once again, hoping to recruit new on-call firefighters to its ranks. The department will be launching a recruitment campaign like that of last year’s to attract potential candidates starting in April with the application deadline on Friday, May 16.
“If you are interested in serving your community as part of our dedicated team of volunteers and community-minded individuals, please consider submitting an application or visiting one of our upcoming information sessions at the Fire Hall,” says Kelvin Toews, Steinbach Fire Chief. “If you’ve ever dreamed of being a firefighter, please submit an application.”
To kick off recruitment efforts, the Fire Department will be at Clearspring Centre on Friday, April 4 to talk to community members and answer any questions they may have about becoming a firefighter.
The Department is also encouraging potential candidates to attend two sessions hosted at the Fire Hall, located at 477 Main Street. The first is an Open House on Saturday, April 12 where candidates can drop in at any time between 10am and 3pm to speak with Steinbach firefighters. The second is an Info Night on Tuesday, May 13 starting at 7pm for candidates and their partners to learn more about the expectations of the role and how the role may potentially affect personal life.
“It’s important for potential recruits to know that firefighters can face highly stressful and physically demanding situations,” says Toews. “But we have a great firefighting family and lots of support for our members.”
Toews further explains that upon hiring, new recruits will receive training for about 18 months before receiving their Level 1 Firefighter status. This includes provincial testing and participating in weekly drills.
“I would like to stress that we are not a full-time department and that these are not full time positions. Having said that, there is a lot of training involved and a huge time commitment for those who are hired,” says Toews.
Recruitment information and applications can be viewed on the City of Steinbach’s website at www.steinbach.ca/fire or can be picked up at Steinbach City Hall, located at 225 Reimer Avenue.
