Firefighter recruitment campaign launched in Essex

The Town of Essex and Essex Fire and Rescue Services are seeking applicants for volunteer firefighters.

Officials say while the town is fortunate to have dedicated teams of volunteer firefighters at all three stations, they are putting out a call to fill 12 positions.

“We are launching the Firefighter Recruitment Campaign to reach individuals who are interested in doing their part to protect our community.” said fire Chief Jason Pillon.

Pillon said the campaign aims to educate and inform potential firefighters about the process and job requirements of working for Essex Fire and Rescue Services.

“With our three stations and our 63 firefighters, we cover a lot of ground and respond to a lot of emergencies,” Pillon explained. “It's nice to have a full complement, firefighters and staff, to ensure safety.”

“Becoming a volunteer firefighter is a fantastic opportunity to help protect your community. It also allows you to get advanced training and learn new skills,” Pillon added.

Meanwhile, a petition to the House of Commons to boost tax breaks for volunteer firefighters is gaining traction with thousands of signatures calling for an increase to the tax credit from $3,000 to $10,000 as an incentive to join.

“Hopefully that that does come into effect in the future,” Pillon told CTV News.

Volunteer firefighter Kyle Vermast applied in 2019 and encourages others to do the same.

“It's been an amazing experience,” he said.

“Be ready to be part of something truly special. The people that we work with are like family to us now.”

“You're helping others in your community on what could be possibly the worst day of their life,” said fellow volunteer firefighter Kevin Sinn, who joined the same recruitment class in 2019. “And it's a good feeling to be able to do that.”

“We all have a really good time together. There's a lot of fun in the fire department. When it comes to calls and training, we take it very seriously.”

Sinn explained, “There are times when you're away from your family in the middle of a birthday party or a dinner your pager goes off. You don't know when the pager is gonna go off. But the trade off is what you get out of it. It's a very rewarding thing to do. I think it's the best job in the world and I wish I would have done it a long time ago to be honest.”

“I think anytime people can get a tax break, it's a great thing.”

Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy said council approved a motion in November calling on the federal government to support the change.

“We're doing everything we can to make it financially interesting,” Bondy said.

“The work that these men and women do is really important not only to fire safety, but community education. We really want to make sure that we have a healthy and diverse and adequate fire protection service here.”

Bondy noted the tax code of Canada currently allows volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers to claim a $3,000 tax credit if 200 hours of volunteer services were completed in a calendar year and if they volunteer more than 200 hours, which many do, the tax credit becomes even less.

Bondy said essential volunteers not only put their lives on the line and give their time, training and efforts to Canadians, but they also allow cities and municipalities to keep property taxes lower than if paid services were required.

“Providing more credits on income tax just make sense to try to intrigue more individuals to join the service,” she said.

Those interested in learning more about becoming a Volunteer Firefighter can visit www.essex.ca/FireRecruits, which includes resources on the training process and an online application form.

Individuals interested in applying need to complete the online application form by Jan. 22, 2024 at 4:30p.m. For additional information, individuals are invited to contact Essex Fire and Rescue Services at 519-776-7132. 

The Town of Essex and Essex Fire and Rescue Services have launched a firefighter recruitment campaign to help fill 12 volunteer positions in Essex, Ont. on Monday, Dec. 19, 2023. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)