(Station 81 of Ottawa Fire Services is located on Stittsville Main Street employing both volunteer and full-time personnel. Photos: Stittsville Central)
Knowing what job is best for you can be hard, especially with the pressure to decide which field to go into. There are several jobs where you might not know what a typical day holds, even with something as famous as firefighting. Firefighters have been known for saving cats for years, but what does a typical day look like?
Stittsville’s Station 81 was initially formed as a volunteer fire department in 1943, meaning that only volunteer firefighters worked there. When the fire station was first formed, it was only men who fought our fires. All men (from the community) who were available would chip in and help put out any fires. Now, Station 81 employs a mixture of volunteer and full-time personnel at their location behind the Stittsville Public Library.
Volunteer firefighters are on-call constantly. These employees have other day jobs that they go to regularly, and only respond to calls when they’re needed. Shifts for full time firefighters are 24 hours, starting at 7:00 AM and continuing to 7:00 AM the following day.
With a 24 hour shift, meals and cooking are bound to be needed. Each firefighter chips in money for meals at the start of every shift. Each taking their turns cooking meals that include Taco Tuesday, Thursday Burgers and many other themes. At Station 81, the crowd favourite is Sunday Spaghetti, cooked by the rotation B Captain. Fire stations use an A, B, C & D rotation schedule for shifts. All full-time firefighters are assigned one of these shifts, and then know their entire schedule for the rest of the year.
The details of a 911 call are given to responders via dispatch. Information such as the location, what type of emergency it is, and any other notes needed are then sent over. Station 81 only has one truck, meaning that all of their full-time firefighters go out if called. However, there is such a thing as being called off, meaning that police or paramedics arrived and didn’t require extra assistance, or due to unforeseen circumstance, they are needed elsewhere urgently.
A firefighter’s suit is tailored to fit your body, helping keep you as safe as possible while amongst flames. Each firefighter owns two suits in case one becomes damaged or requires decontamination. One full body of gear weighs on average between 50 to 75 pounds, not including if it is wet. Firefighter gear is always prepared so that when called, firefighters can get into their gear within 60 seconds, helping them have the fastest response time possible.
Firefighting is a career that betters your community in so many ways. With this job, you not only fight fires, but you also participate in events and have a positive impact on the people of your community.
Station 81’s Lee Payne stated, “It’s giving back to the community and just helping people – that’s why I signed up for it,” giving an amazing example of why this job might be a fit for you.
They are a gift to the community always