Number of firefighters in Sooke lags behind population growth
With more people making Sooke their home, the district’s fire department needs more firefighters to meet the growing demand for fire protection services.
The need for more on-call members comes at a time when the department has lost 11 firefighters to retirement in the past two years.
The number of firefighters who can be called upon when fire breaks out is currently eight full-time and 29 paid on-call firefighters.
“The community is growing rapidly and there’s been a number of changes with our members that have been with us for the last five years or more,” said Sooke Fire Department Chief Ken Mount. “It’s something I’ve gone through before and I see ourselves with the ability to climb out of this with a recruitment program.”
Mount says the Sooke Fire Department is a “combination” department that consists of a small number of full-time career firefighters and a larger number of paid on-call volunteers.
“Sooke has been in that position for several years now and we’re trying to grow on both ends of the service,” said Mount. “As we grow our paid on-call group, it requires more support from our career day staff to make sure we are getting the proper training looked after.”
Sooke’s fire chief says with the reduced number of firefighters on hand, the department is forced to rely on its mutual aid partners from East Sooke, Metchosin and Otter Point. It was the added strength from its mutual aid partners that helped extinguish the fire that destroyed the Island Shiners Distillery in May.
“The worst case scenario would be that we would have no additional support from our paid on-call group in the middle of the day,” said Mount. “That may mean there is only three of us on an engine dealing with a difficult situation until our mutual aid partners show up and we haven’t experienced that yet but that could be the end result if we don’t get ahead of any retention problems.”
In an effort to bolster its ranks, the Sooke Fire Department is actively recruiting new members. It has also asked Sooke council to allocate some of its COVID-19 restart funding to add one full-time firefighter.
“Right now, we are in an okay position but we are looking at it in an advanced planning perspective,” said Mount. “That’s while you’ll see some pretty aggressive recruitment campaigning leading in to next fall.”
The fire department is looking to recruit people who are willing to devote an average of 10 hours a week for ongoing training and to respond to emergency calls. Mount hopes that by recruiting now, the department will have no less than 12 new paid on-call members by late fall 2022.
“We will likely see an increase in call volumes because the trends are showing that,” said Mount. “We just have to make sure all emergency services are planning properly because we know the demands are there and we just don’t want to be playing catch-up consistently.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning as explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike following Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.