The Castlegar Fire Department has put out the call for new recruits.
Chief Sam Lattanzio says they are looking for two to five people to bolster their ranks of paid-on call volunteers, which currently sits at 33, but has seen a few retirements recently.
Previous firefighting experience is an asset, but not necessary he says, as they will provide training.
What makes a good firefighter?
“A person that has a sense of service to the community, wants to help people, and doesn’t mind getting up at all times of the day and night,” Lattanzio says. “We expect them to come regularly to our training sessions and are available when the pages go out.”
Training takes place each Monday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. Additional specialized training sometimes takes place on weekends.
Lattanzio says the department is kept busy responding to all sorts of calls.
“We’re a full service department. We respond to medical assists, first responder, vehicle collisions and extrication, steep slope rescue, and all types of fires, We also respond to the airport, which is unique for us.”
Last year the department had 759 calls of all times, and so far this year it already has 30. Lattanzio says last year’s tally was on par with previous years, while they are currently slightly ahead of pace.
In addition to emergency response, Lattanzio says they do a lot of fundraising as well, supporting charities such as Muscular Dystrophy Canada, Movember, and their annual toy drive.
The expression of interest remains open until the end of January.