The Steinbach Fire Department is hoping to recruit new paid-on-call firefighters to its ranks. The department will be launching a recruitment campaign to attract potential candidates starting in April with the application deadline on Friday, May 25.
“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 recruitment events, or information sessions at the Fire Hall,” said 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 Wednesday, April 8 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 18 where candidates can drop in at any time between 10:00am and 3:00pm to speak with Steinbach firefighters. The second is an Info Night on Monday, May 18 starting at 7:00pm for candidates, their partners and their families to learn more about the expectations of the role and how the role may affect the personal life of potential recruits.
“It’s important for those applying to know that firefighters can face highly stressful and physically demanding situations, but we have a great firefighting family and lots of support for our members,” Toews added. “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.”
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.
Recruitment information and applications can be viewed at steinbach.ca or can be picked up at Steinbach City Hall, located at 225 Reimer Avenue.
