The Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department is actively looking to add some members to its ranks.
According to Volunteer Fire Fighter Cherry Dixon they currently have around 40 volunteers on their roster. When fully staffed she says they aim to have around 50 members.
“It’s not just firefighters going into buildings that are active fires, behind every one of them there is support staff that ensures we can fight fires safely,” Dixon said.
It’s for that reason that they are actively inviting people to apply to become volunteer firefighters.
Dixon says in order to be eligible you must be at least 19 years old and physically fit.
Being a volunteer firefighter provides lots of exciting opportunities and can prepare you for other careers, “A lot of our volunteers have gone on to become full-time paid firefighters with other departments and a lot of people interested in the medical field chose to get a start in fire fighting as it can be a good test to see if it’s something you’ll like,” Dixon said.
Dixon says the most important thing people need to be prepared for is committing time, for training, and for responding to calls once they are fully trained.
In addition to being a rewarding job where you help people deal with what is often the worst day of their lives, there are also some financial benefits.
Dixon says firefighters can access special license plates that the provincial government pays for and there are also a multitude of government funds that allow volunteer firefighters to cover costs associated with travel and training.
Anyone interested in applying can find more info on the Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Department webpage.
