RED DEER -- Lacombe County is on the hunt for paid-on-call firefighters. The county is conducting a county-wide recruitment campaign for paid-on-call firefighters to serve in departments throughout Lacombe County.
“Departments within Lacombe County recruit throughout the year, as needed,” said Drayton Bussiere, Lacombe County Fire Chief.
“We are looking for some new faces to join our dedicated fire teams who provide this crucial first response service for our communities.”
The county is recruiting firefighters to serve in Alix, Bentley, Clive, and Eckville. There are currently approximately 100 firefighters who serve in these departments, but they are looking to get that number to 125.
“As fire departments get busier, the demand on people’s time gets higher,” said Bussiere.
“It’s nice for us to have a bit of padding in our ranks, if you want to call it that, so that we can be confident that we got enough people to respond to all our instances without having to negatively affect their full-time jobs and their families.”
Bussiere added while they are often called volunteer firefighters, these individuals will be paid.
“These firefighters are still kind of volunteers,” said Bussiere.
“But, when they go to an actual incident, and they’re actually responding on a truck, they do get paid.”
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, must have a valid Class 5 driver’s license, must be physically fit, and must be willing to live in the response area.
For a full list of requirements and responsibilities, visit the Lacombe County website. Interested applicants can also contact the Lacombe County Fire Chief at 403-782-8959.
“As the first step in recruitment, I encourage anyone interested to contact me to discuss the level of commitment and expectations of paid-on-call firefighters.”
