Challenges with recruiting and retaining volunteer/part-time firefighters vary across parts of Prescott-Russell and Glengarry. Fire departments are also preparing for new firefighter certification requirements in Ontario which take effect in two years.
Effective July 1, 2026, all firefighters in Ontario must be trained and certified according to the standards set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The certification must be authorized by the Fire Marshal or the International Fire Safety Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). The changes were announced in a regulation issued by the Solicitor General in 2022.
Volunteer firefighters are actually paid for attending calls. However, they are not always obligated to attend every call. Locally, the fire departments in Hawkesbury and Clarence-Rockland have full-time firefighters who are on duty at a fire station for all or part of a day.
Champlain
Champlain Township Director of Fire Services Ghislain Pigeon said there is not a shortage of firefighters at the township’s two stations. There are 50 volunteer firefighters with 25 each serving at the Vankleek Hill and L’Orignal stations. Pigeon said eight new firefighters will join the service this year, but he did acknowledge there is a turnover rate of about 10 to 15 per cent each year.
Pigeon said plans are being made to train currently serving firefighters in-house so they meet the new certification standards. Some Champlain firefighters are already fully certified. He acknowledged it is difficult for some firefighters to accept the new training and certification requirements, but believes the requirements will be beneficial for fire protection.
Hawkesbury
Three new firefighters just joined the Hawkesbury Fire Department, according to Captain Julien Boisvenue. The department has 17 part-time firefighters and also has seven full-time firefighters. Combined, they are on duty or watch for all day and night shifts.
Boisvenue said the biggest challenge is retaining firefighters on the roster once they join the department.
He said 70 per cent of Hawkesbury’s firefighters are now certified according to the new standards and certification is in progress for the remaining personnel.
Alfred and Plantagenet
The Alfred and Plantagenet Fire Department hired four new firefighters in 2023.
“We’re actually doing pretty good,” said Fire Chief Dominic Côté.
There are about 66 firefighters currently serving on the department, which has stations in Alfred, Plantagenet, Lefaivre, and Wendover.
Applications are always being accepted for new firefighters.
Côté said certification training is done at the Regional Training Centre in Bourget. He added there is also a legacy program for veteran firefighters’ certification to be phased in.
East Hawkesbury
There is a demand for firefighters in East Hawkesbury.
“We are a little short,” commented Fire Chief Bryce Luker.
He said there is space for 28 members and there are currently about 20 serving. He noted not all firefighters are often available for calls due to other obligations. Luker said 13 or 14 firefighters are usually available to respond to calls in East Hawkesbury.
The East Hawkesbury Fire Department has stations in Chute-à-Blondeau, St-Eugène, and Sainte-Anne-de Prescott.
Luker’s firefighting career began in Québec where certification to NFPA standards was already in effect. He said that made it easy to adapt the training to the department in East Hawkesbury. He said East Hawkesbury got a head start on certification and the job is largely complete.
“We’re basically entirely certified and we have two years to go,” Luker said.
North Glengarry
There is no firefighter shortage in North Glengarry, according to the township’s Fire Chief, Matthew Roy.
He said there is always some fluctuation in numbers, but that is to be expected in a mostly volunteer service. There are currently 75 firefighters in North Glengarry, serving at the three stations, located in Alexandria, Maxville, and Apple Hill.
Despite the steady number of firefighters, Roy is always hopeful more will join the department.
“We run a recruitment every year,” he remarked.
During the past two years, 14 new firefighters have joined the North Glengarry department.
Roy explained the department has been well-prepared for the new certification requirements and has its own facility for in-house training. He believes certification will be good for local fire protection.
“In the long run, it is developing a very good foundation for our firefighters,” Roy said.
The Nation
The Nation Municipality and the City of Clarence-Rockland share Mario Cardinal as their Fire Chief. Cardinal said it is difficult these days to find enough people who are interested in serving their community as firefighters. It is a challenge for people with full-time careers and already busy personal lives.
Currently, there are 50 firefighters in the municipality, but Cardinal would like to have 70 on the roster. The Nation Fire Department has five fire stations, located in St-Bernardin, Fournier, St-Isidore, Limoges, and St-Albert.
Cardinal said The Nation just completed a firefighter recruitment campaign, resulting in four new firefighters being hired.
He noted that actual firefighting only accounts for about 10 per cent of what firefighters do. Most calls are for medical reasons or assisting with other emergencies.
To meet the new certification standards, The Nation’s current firefighters are taking training courses this winter and spring, along with practical work at the Regional Training Centre.
Clarence-Rockland
There are five full-time firefighters on day shift at the fire station in Rockland. The remainder of the city’s firefighters are volunteers and also serve at the Rockland station, along with the stations in Clarence Creek and Bourget. Cardinal said the City of Clarence-Rockland currently has about 80 volunteer firefighters and 13 were recently hired. He said the department is at its full roster capacity.
