Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
AlbertarechiefssharerecruitmentretentionideasCreatingfirefighterpresenceincommunitiescanincreaseinterest12FIREPREVENTIONWEEK2014ByDALICARMICHAELVolunteerreghterdepartmentsfromacrossthecountryarefacingashortage.Itsbasiceconomicswhenthemajorityofalabourforceisntgettingpaidfortheworktheyredoingitcanbetoughtocreateincen-tivestokeepthemaroundorndotherstogetthejobdone.ThatswhytheAlbertaFireChiefsAsso-ciationAFCAsetouttolearntacticstobet-terrecruitandretaintheirvolunteers.Nowtheyresharingwhattheyvelearnedwiththerestofthecountry.AttheCanadianFireChiefsAssociationCFCAconferenceheldSept.14to17inOttawatheAFCApresentedthevariousinitiativestheyvebeenusingtostrengthentheirprovincialforcetoacrowdofnationalrechiefs.Inresponseremarshalsfromacrossthecountryheldanemergencymeet-ingtocreatearesolutionfortheirrechiefstoadopttheAFCAsstrategies.WewereprettyexcitedaboutthatthattheywouldsteptotheplatethatquicklyandendorsewhatweweredoingsaidWilliamPurdyexecutivedirectoroftheAFCA.Thestrategiesarentrocketscience.Itsallaboutcreatingstrongeffectivecommu-nicationwithinthecommunityandkeepingcrewsinteractingandinvolvedPurdysaid.Butforsmalldepartmentsalmostentirelyrunbyvolunteerstheefforttoensuretheinitiativesaresuccessfulcanbequitetimeconsuming.In2009and2010wedidsomesurveysacrosstheprovinceanddeterminedthattherewasareallackofvolunteerpeopleinsomeofoursmallercommunitiesPurdysaid.Someevenintheunder5000popu-lationwerehavingdifcultiestryingtokeeparosterofsay15to20peopleandalotoftheproblemwastherewasnoawarenessofwhatthevolunteerreghtersweredoingandthevalueofthem.RecruitingintheNWTInFortSimpsonfourseparatedumpsterresbrokeoutatthesametimeattheendofApril.Mostwereeasytocontainbutoneredidseri-ousdamagetothehamletsNorthernStoreware-housedestroyinggroceriesandothergoods.ItitwasaprettyscarymomentthereforaboutahalfanhourwheneverythingwasallkindofburningatoncesaidRogerPill-ingthehamletsvolunteerrechief.Ivebeenonthedepartmentforabout25yearsandIveneverhadmorethanonereatonce.Wedealtwithitthebestwecould.Idlovetohavemorepeoplebutwerealwaysafterpeoplethatsoneoftheissuesthatscommon.Thecrewwasabletotacklethesimulta-neousdumpresbecausetheyhadenoughmembersavailabletosplitintoteams.Butstaffuctuatesthroughouttheyearasmem-bersleavethecommunitytoworkincareersoutsidethetownlimitsleavingcrewnum-bersdwindlingandthejobthatmuchmoredifcult.WhilePillinglooksforwardtopossiblyimplementingnewideastohelphiscrewin-creaseits16to18volunteersserveapopula-tionofabout1200peopleheisskepticalthattherewillberealchangecallingthetaskofrecruitmentanever-endingprocess.ChuckerDewarremarshalfortheterri-torysaidstudiessimilartothoseinAlbertahavebeencarriedoutwithstakeholdersintheNWTin2010.WithassistancefromtheOntarioAssociationofFireChiefsatool-kitsimilartotheAFCAswasdevelopedandisnowatthedisposaloftheterritorialredepartments.Dewarsaidhehasplansinplacetoseewhetheranynewstrategiesfromthesouthcanbeusedinadditiontothecurrentresources.InthemeantimethecrewsoftheNWTwillforgeaheaddoingdangerousworkre-gardlessofhowmanyvolunteerstheyhave.SparkytheredogvisitswithreghtersinFortMcMurraypartoftheWoodBuffalodivision.PhotocourtesyofRegionalMunicipalityofWoodBuffaloInpartnershipwithVolunteerAlbertaTURNYOURLIFEINTOMOREANSWERTHECALLAlbertaVolunteerFirefighters.caTheAlbertaFireChiefsAssociationhonoursFirePreventionWeekRECRUITMENTANDRETENTIONCAMPAIGNalsoplayedaroleintheimplementationoftheLearnNottoBurnandRiskWatchprogramsforchildrentheJuvenileFireSettersPreventionprogramandSmokeDetectorcampaignsacrosstheprovince.ThroughtheparticipationofourmembersAlbertaalsohasoneofthemostprogressiveandeffectiverecruitmentprogramsinCanada.ANSWERTHECALL.