City wondering why it can't hang onto volunteer firefighters

Greater Sudbury needs more volunteer firefighters, as the city works to find out why they're having a hard time attracting new ones and keeping the ones they have.

Trevor Bain, the city's chief of fire and paramedic services, told members of the community services committee Monday they need to do a better job of understanding why volunteers quit.

In the past, they didn't do exit interviews with volunteers who left the force, an error they have now corrected.

“We've only begun to do that now, to understand why they are leaving,” Bain said. “I don't think we've done a good job … of understanding why we lose volunteers.”

Overall, their goal is to reduce turnover, improve retention and seek out qualified candidates to join the volunteer force. The city is creating posters and taking out advertisements to boost recruitment efforts, and is also planning to have volunteers train with their full-time counterparts.

While the turnover rate for full-time firefighter is 3.5 per cent, it's as high as 13 per cent at volunteer stations.

The city has 97 full-time firefighters and about 260 volunteers – a number that has dropped from 322 at the end of last year. Full-time firefighters in Greater Sudbury respond to about 3,127 calls a year, while the firefighters at the city's four volunteer stations handle an average of 825. The one composite station in Val Therese – which includes a mix of full-time and volunteer firefighters – handles an average of 311.

Some city councillors were surprised to hear there's a shortage of volunteers. Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier said he assumed there would be a waiting list to join.

“I never realized we weren't filling the required number of volunteers,” Montpellier said.

“Are these volunteer exits, or are we dismissing volunteer firefighters?” asked Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer.

“We have not dismissed anyone in my recent memory,” Bain replied. “It's voluntary terminations.”

Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini asked whether equipment is the same for all stations.

Tim Beadman, the city's general manager of Health, Social and Emergency Services, said while personal equipment – helmets, boots, etc. – are the same, there are differences in equipment and vehicles. That's because the city is running a deficit on the money it needs to replace equipment.

“We're running about $1.5M shy in capital requirements,” Beadman said, a figure that increases year after year. “That's the challenge ahead of us.

They have 26 stations with no funds for maintenance or replacing of equipment, Beadman said. They are currently reviewing fire operations in the city to look for ways to use the resources they have more efficiently.

“Do we need 26 stations? Do we need them all? Can we combine some of them?” Beadman said. “The question needs to be asked, do we need to provide the same level of service at every station?”