Volunteer fire departments struggling with lack of funding: Machin fire

Officials with a small municipality in northwestern Ontario are sounding alarm bells over the amount of work volunteer firefighters are being asked to do — and the level of funding with which they have to do it.

Cora MacRae, the chief of the of the Machin Fire Department, said currently, funding for community-led first responders isn't sufficient.

She added that with services being so underfunded, finding volunteers can be tough.

"We can do what we can do, but, we can't possibly keep up," she said.

MacRae said many volunteers do more than what is expected, and hopes a federal government grant from the Canada 150 Fund will help boost morale in a busy department.

Machin fire received a $70,000 grant, matched by the Municipality of Machin to do badly-needed work at the municipality's two fire halls.

"I think the outside of the buildings looking better will match what's going on inside the building with the people, and our training, and the equipment that we have," MacRae said.

Officials said that the hall in Eagle River is in bad shape — with paint peeling and doors not closing properly — and needs sprucing up.

"We have a great department, made up of great people," MacRae added.

"I think that it's going to boost the morale of our department, and hopefully help with the usual challenges that volunteer fire departments have, such as recruiting of volunteers, and the retention of those members."

The Machin Fire Department consists of 20 about firefighters, based out of two halls. One is in Vermilion Bay, as well as a hall with a pumper truck in Eagle River.  They serve a number of communities, like Vermilion Bay, Eagle River and Minnitaki, as well as a 40 kilometre stretch of the Trans Canada Highway.

The volunteer fire service also serves as a first response team for the area. Officials added that the closest ambulance is stationed in Dryden, which can be up to 30 minutes away.

The mayor of Machin, Drew Myers, said he wants to see Queen's Park step up.

It's so much more than that right now, that a little place like this can't handle it.-Machin Mayor Drew Myers

"We would just like if specifically the province would ... realize ... how unsustainable they (the fire departments) are in small towns like this with the training, the equipment costs," he said.

"Because I think 50 years ago, they were a bunch of volunteers that went and fought fires at people's houses, and it's so much more than that right now, that a little place like this can't handle it."

Myers added that the local tax base can't support a full-fledged fire service.

"Would I really like the funding for a professional fire service? Absolutely," he said.

"But, that's going to have to come from the province. We don't have the people to, just like our volunteers are stretched, the municipality is stretched as far as dollars go."

Machin is not the only municipality in the northwest that struggles with the recruitment of firefighters. Some communities, such as Atikokan, run annual ads in the local newspaper to help bolster the ranks of the volunteer department.