Port Hardy Fire Rescue (PHFR) hosted an open house/barbecue at fire hall no. 1 on Saturday afternoon, which drew a good crowd of people who were looking to learn more about what firefighting is all about.
At the event, John Tidbury stated being a firefighter is an adventure in itself, “and it’s absolutely a fantastic job serving the community.”
Tidbury recently earned the Governor General of Canada’s Fire Services Exemplary Services Medal for 20 years of service.
Fire Chief Brent Borg noted they are actively looking for new volunteer firefighters to join and help protect the community.
Borg stated they currently have 24 firefighters on staff, down from 36 a little over a year ago, “but as I’ve said before, we have a rotation of about five a year on average... people retire, people move, people leave, and we have to replenish them continuously.”
Port Hardy firefighters do get a little bit of money for attending calls and practices, but it’s not about the pay, said Borg. “It’s about helping our community, and as I’ve said many times before, when people call 911, we show up with the training, the tools, and the equipment to help people out of bad situations.”
PHFR trains every Thursday evening and there’s also once a month hall duty where they do their truck checks and orientations. Firefighters also have access to weekend training down island, and the department brings trainers to town as well for seminars.
If you’re interested in becoming a firefighter, come out and attend a Thursday night practice to see what it’s all about.
Borg confirmed they have space for everybody.
“I’ve made it very diversified,” he said, noting there’s all kinds of jobs available in the department ranging from administration, to running a pumper truck, to being an actual frontline firefighter.
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