Black Diamond recruit ready for action

Always seeking an adrenalin rush, Shelby Butler can’t wait for her first call as Black Diamond’s newest firefighter. “I get really excited just hearing them talk about a call they had last week and how excited everybody gets about it,” said Butler, a construction worker who lives east of Black Diamond. “You can feel the energy in the room when the radio goes off.” Butler is in the process of becoming a member of the Black Diamond Fire Department, a process that requires paperwork, screening and physical and mental training. Butler’s uncle served on the Turner Valley Fire Department and she’s had family friends join the Longview and Calgary fire departments. After expressing her interested to fire chief Jamie Campbell a year ago, Butler began showing up for Monday night training sessions to get a feel for the job. “We did some truck checks and checked the first aid kits,” she said. “Even stuff like that is worth it to get to the end point of actually getting on calls.” The training nights also offered practice scenarios and finding rural addresses. “We were given a sheet of addresses to find,” she said. “That took me a while to get used to.” Applicants are required to fill out an application form, tax forms and sign policies such as the alcohol/drug consumption policy to qualify. They’re also required to obtain their driver’s abstract and vulnerable sector through the RCMP to ensure there’s no history of taking advantage of vulnerable people. Once accepted, applicants undergo recruitment training, consisting of both theory and practical exercises like climbing ladders and putting on the breathing apparatus. Then there’s the tests. Butler completed the practical portion last weekend, which included a physical component. “I’m a pretty active person,” she said. “I play soccer competitively and rugby and volleyball. It’s not too hard on me, though those bags of fire hose are like 80 pounds.” On Saturday, Butler advances to the written test. With a background in the army reserve, she isn’t too worried. If Butler passes the written portion, Campbell will give her a radio so she can start responding to calls. “Once they get a radio they are taken under the wing of our other firefighters and shown the ropes as we go along,” Campbell said. “We introduce them to things slowly.” On their first few calls, new recruits are initially tasked with directing traffic at motor vehicle accidents and holding the hose line at fires. The range of calls they can expect to respond to include accidents, alarms, sudden deaths, medical calls, rescues and fires, said Campbell. The department currently boasts 18 members ranging in experience from trainees like Butler to Campbell, who has 32 years on the department. Joining the department is as simple has having the enthusiasm and desire to give back to one’s community, said Campbell. Everything else can be taught. “We’re after somebody who’s prepared to commit the time,” he said. “It’s no different than any other profession. The last thing you want is someone operating an emergency vehicle or trying to help you in an emergency who’s under the influence of something because it can deter their thought process.” Physical fitness is a big component to the job. While Campbell said members don’t have to be athletes, he said they should be able to handle some heavy lifting. “There are challenges to this job so there are some physical fitness requirements,” he said. “It’s not a requirement to join but it will be very quickly a requirement to do the role so there are some physical fitness abilities you need to have.” Members must be a minimum of 18 years old, have a valid driver’s licence and either live or work near the community. Firefighters are paid only when responding to calls, said Campbell, adding the rate depends on experience and begins at minimum wage. More formalized training is offered to firefighters on an ongoing basis throughout the region.