East Hants calls for volunteer firefighters in new recruitment video – Halifax

Ensuring that there are enough volunteers trained and available to respond within local fire and emergency services for the East Hants municipality is an ongoing struggle.

“You can never have enough bodies,” said Deputy Chief Michael Wood of Elmsdale Fire & Emergency Services.

There’s 330 volunteer firefighters across the collective fire services for East Hants, who answered 2,200 calls for service in 2023.

Increasing that roster would allow for better odds of getting good response at any time of day — to everyone’s benefit.

“Our typical numbers are anywhere from one to five new people who may show an interest in the fire service,” said Wood. “Of those five people, say in any given year, you may only retain one or two.”

With volunteers aging out of service or moving out of the area, there’s a constant need for fresh blood to replete the responders that the community is losing.

“The fire service and …