Devon Fire Hall opens for public appreciation Sunday

Devon Fire Department celebrates 75 years The Devon Fire Department is looking to recruit more members heading into its 76th year. Marek Tkach reports.

Devon's fire department is celebrating 75 years in the community.

To mark the occasion, the Devon Fire Hall opened its doors to the public Sunday.

"The town has put it on to show their appreciation for the fire department," said Devon Fire Rescue Chief Robert Main. "We have past members that have come to honour us for the 75 years that we've been in service, providing safety to the public."

"I absolutely appreciate the 75 years of absolute risk that these men and women would take on for our town," said Devon Mayor Jeff Craddock.

Beyond celebrating three-quarters of a century, the fire department used the event to shine a spotlight on recruitment issues.

Main said recruiting volunteers has been a challenge over the past few years. The department currently has 21 members, with 18 of them volunteers.

Recent recruiting classes have been smaller than he'd like to see, Main added.

"People’s lives are busier, they have families, lots of sports. So commitment to the fire hall is taking its toll," he said.

Main said he'd like to see his crew grow from 21 to around 35 members.

“We’ve come close over the years," he added. "But through individuals leaving, jobs have changed, they’re asked to go to other provinces for work and we start losing members."

Main encouraged anyone interested in firefighting to visit the fire hall to learn more.