Winkler Fire Chief Pleased With Complement Of Members, "We're Right Where We Need To Be"

With some rural fire departments struggling to recruit and retain firefighters, the Winkler Fire Department is in a very good position when it comes to its complement of members.
    
Fire Chief Richard Paetzold said of the 38 staff on the department, there are 32 members that can respond to calls.

"We're on target with numbers as it relates to the number of calls we have, the training requirement, and average turnout at calls," said Paetzold.  "Right now we shoot for having 14 members at our calls and we're at that and a little bit above."

In 2017, the Winkler Fire Department held its first recruiting class since 2010, and Paetzold hopes it will be at least another 7 years before another drive for members is needed.  Paetzold said while they won't be recruiting anytime soon, their efforts on retention will continue.

"I think the success of what's happened in Winkler goes way before my time here," said Paetzold.  He said the success can be attributed to a combination of factors.  "I think there's a large pool to draw from being the community we are, the good equipment we have, the training that's done, and the culture of the hall that's been created."  Paetzold said the department has been successful in creating an environment that's a "way of life." "One example would be having a drill every Wednesday, that becomes part of your life."

In 2015 the Winkler Fire Department implemented a Junior Fire Fighting program, which is something that's become a retention tool for the department.

Paetzold said the first year the program ran they had five junior members, and at this time two from that group are "full-fledged" members.  Currently, the department has one junior member, and Paetzold said the member has full intentions of taking the next steps to joining the force when he turns 18.

In his time as a firefighter, Paetzold knows of other Canadian communities where junior programs have created positive ripple effects, and in one case a junior program essentially saved one department.  He noted the northern Canadian community struggled with having a department because it was a community where many went away during the day for work.  

"Grade 12 high school students basically responded as the fire department there...they did everything safely with the guidance of a few senior members.  But the social impact in that community was something nobody expected.  The cases of teenagers out drinking and driving were reduced because a lot of these peers who were responding to calls, saw the impact of making unwise choices."

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