When most people think of firefighters, they probably imagine the big city fire departments from television, whether on prime time dramas or the evening news. That’s not the reality for most of the country.

In a report issued in 2018, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimated that of the approximately 152,650 local firefighters in Canada from 2014 to 2016, 17% were career firefighters and 83% were volunteer firefighters.

That’s 126,650 people across Canada who volunteer to walk into fire.

Some of those people come from Kelwood, Manitoba, where during their recent fair weekend the Kelwood Fire Hall held a fundraiser to purchase new fireproof suits. The oldest suit in their arsenal is 32 years old, from 1989, and it along with others are in somewhat dire need of replacement. Suits are $3,000 each, and the department requires 15 of them to be fully outfitted. Of course fireproof suits are not the only need of the small department, but they are currently the most urgent.

While the municipality contributes approximately $50,000 to fire department operations annually, there are unfortunately more needs than money.

The fundraiser, held on August 7th, was part barbecue and part silent auction, with prizes donated by many local businesses and individuals including a beautiful handmade quilt that was put up for raffle.

Volunteer organisations are always looking for funding, but it becomes a lot more pressing when lives and property are on the line. The fundraiser was considered a success, but the needs of the fire department are ongoing