Fire department in Wilson’s Landing seeking recruits

Members of a paid-on call fire department hope to soon be dispatched to medical emergencies as well as house fires and car crashes.

Almost half the 21 volunteers with the Wilson’s Landing fire department, which serves an area 16 kilometres long along Westside Road north of Bear Creek Provincial Park, are upgrading their qualifications.

“We’re working toward becoming a full medical responder,” Chief Don Bennison said Monday.

The department responded to 45 calls last year, most being vehicle crashes and minor fires. The volume would increase if the department also responded to medical distress calls, which are currently handled only by B.C. Ambulance.

In many areas of the province, firefighters and paramedics are both dispatched to medical calls. While some may see it as a duplication of service, the first responder system ensures the quickest possible response to a medical emergency.

A volunteer information night will be held at the fire hall, 2396 Westside Rd. N., on April 4 between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. for anyone interested in joining the department.

Applicants must live within eight kilometres of the hall, be between the ages of 19 and 65, and be in good physical condition. Two nights of training for six weeks, for which the candidates are paid, is required before they can join the department.

“After you get up to snuff, you’re given a pager and are ready to answer the calls,” Bennison said, adding he hoped to get at least four more recruits for the department as a result of the application process, which is conducted once a year.