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Grand Forks fire department wants more volunteers

Fire Chief George Seigler said many people are too quick to doubt their readiness to join
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From the left: Dep. Fire Chiefs Rich Piché and Stephane Dionne and Chief George Seigler want interested volunteers to join Grand Forks Fire/Rescue’s “Firefighter For a Night” on Wednesday, April 24. Photo: Laurie Tritschler

Grand Forks Fire/Rescue is looking to add community-minded volunteers to its roster.

Anyone looking to join is asked to come to the firehall’s “Firefighter For a Night” event at 7214 2nd St, between 7 and 9 p.m., Wednesday, April 28.

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“There’s a lot of people out there who think they can’t do it, when the reality is, they can,” Fire Chief George Seigler told The Gazette.

The department currently boasts 37 active members, including four women. Seigler said he and deputy chiefs Rich Piché and Stephane Dionne want to swell their ranks to around 50, adding that they hope to double women volunteers.

Grand Forks Fire/Rescue offers health and dental coverage to volunteers who stay with their “second family” at the station. The department provides expert training and officer experience to recruits who commit to 70 per cent of practices and 30 per cent of call outs.

“We’re looking for people who are driven self-starters,” Dionne said.

“We want team-players, because we support each other,” Piché added.

The department will provide training towards recruits’ air brakes certification and Class 3 Driver’s licensing, Seigler said.

Recruits are typically called out to service calls after about four to five months of training, Dionne said.


 

@ltritsch1
laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.ca

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laurie.tritschler@boundarycreektimes.com

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