Dear Editor, I thought it time to clarify some misinformation seen in last week’s publication. In the Fire Prevention Week spread of firefighter group photos, some were titled by station and shift, some were titled volunteer. Within Rocky View County (RVC), the use of the word “volunteer” in conjunction with “firefighters” is a misnomer and I’m not certain everyone understands this, perhaps intentional, misuse. By definition of Statistics Canada, a volunteer is, “Persons aged 15 and over who did any activities without pay on behalf of a group or organization." There are three types of firefighters employed by RVC Fire Service (RVCFS). Full-time firefighters and officers work a regularly-scheduled shift at the four 24/7 staffed stations – Balzac, Bearspaw, Elbow Valley and Springbank. Part-time firefighters work a minimum of 48 scheduled hours each month at those same stations. Firefighters in Irricana, Langdon and Madden muster at the station and then respond to the emergency scene. They are paid an hourly wage for that time, and for every hour they spend doing the business of the County as firefighters – preparing, training, equipment maintenance, administration, station duties, community interaction, etc. If people perform work outside of the definition of volunteer, according to the Canadian Government, they are paid employees. Industry standards designate them as paid-per-call or paid-on-call (POC) firefighters. They are not volunteering by any recognized definition. All RVCFS firefighters and officers are paid bi-weekly, according to Alberta Employment Standards. They are all covered by workers' compensation. This is not meant to slight or detract from any of my colleagues in this great profession. Regardless of their employment type and/or pay scale, they are good people who believe in supporting others with their time and skills. I highly respect anyone who has chosen that path, whether it is full-time, part-time, paid-on-call or volunteer. Having spent half of my 22-year firefighting career as a true volunteer and then as a paid-on-call firefighter, I fully appreciate those roles. It is, however, a bit of a disservice to those true volunteers so many groups depend on. Those who give of their time and abilities, receiving no compensation, are true volunteers, and the title should be reserved and preserved for them. RVC is one of the few/last governments to call a group of paid employees “volunteers.” Chief Randy Smith is on record in the Rocky View Weekly as saying, “We call them volunteer, but they really are paid on call.... They do receive an hourly rate.” It is important everyone understands there are no “volunteer” or “free” emergency services in the County. There is a cost for service, and that cost is scaled in proportion to the level of service available/received. So why does RVCFS continue to consistently propagate this incorrect term? Letters to the Editor are capped at 500 words. That’s a discussion for another day. Jeff Salkeld President Rocky View Firefighters IAFF Local 4794
