Photo courtesy Alberton Chapple Emo LaVallee Fire and Emergency Services/Facebook

Some challenges with the training of volunteer firefighters in Emo.

The department staged a couple of recent sessions, but few members took part.

Fire Chief Tyrell Griffith says a lack and type of calls do play a factor.

“It’s easy to understand why our volunteers are slow to come out for training when a lot of our call volume is simple, almost non-events.

Hopefully, the interest will pick up. We’ve got a couple of bigger fires recently, so hopefully, that gets some interest,” says Griffith.

The department has responded to twelve calls this year, two where members had to do some type of mitigation.

“I know a number of the guys are saying, you know, the pager went off, and it’s another lack of excitement. It pulls them away from their dinner table, pulls them away from whatever they’re doing and then it just deflates them when we get stood down,” says Griffith.

Griffith says it is good to see that their public education on fire safety is working, but it is hard on the members’ morale when they are not getting called out that often.

To keep members active, the department has increased its presence in the community with various events.

It included an open house and bar-be-que during Fire Prevention Week and visits to the area schools.

“We had one teacher that said she’s been teaching for 17 years, never had a firefighter actually come into the classroom. So that was exciting for the students and teachers alike.”