Mulgrave fire department faces critical volunteer shortage

Aug. 3, 2025, Mulgrave, N.S. – A recruitment open house in July drew dozens of community members, but not a single application for new firefighters.

Captain Lorne MacDonald said they are actively looking for members now more than ever, adding, at one time, there was a waitlist just to join. Now, it’s hard to find new recruits at all.

“That’s very low for us,” said MacDonald. “We used to have 30 on a wait list, but now there’s no wait list. We’d like to get some younger people, because a lot of our members are up there in age. Like myself … I’m going into my 51st year in the fire department.”

The recruitment challenge, MacDonald noted, is partly about commitment. Firefighter training is more intensive than many realize.

“We’ve had people that had to give up five weekends in a row to do level one training at the fire school,” he said. “It’s a big commitment, but we’re hoping some people will find interest in it.”

Even then, not all roles in the department require running into a burning building.

“A lot of people think if they join the fire department there won’t be many fires … but you have to be prepared,” he said. “If you’re scared and don’t want to go in a burning building, you can still get the hoses or any tools we need to go in the fire … there’s so many aspects of firefighting.”

The department provides applications and interviews to walk people through the responsibilities. New recruits are given a six-month probation period with no pressure, said MacDonald.

“If you can make it, you can make it.”

While it may not have brought in any new firefighters, the open house gave the small-town department a couple of new hands to help with fundraising and fire hall maintenance.

“A bunch of residents came, and people from out of town came to see what we have here,” he said. “We had a lot of our equipment out and things for children to do … just to get the word out and show people that we’re looking for members. It also showed that the equipment we’ve got, we need help to maintain it.”

Beyond fire response, the department is a key player in community life, running major fundraisers, donating to local programs and building relationships with neighbouring departments like Aulds Cove to share emergency response coverage.

“We also like to help the community out,” MacDonald said. “We donated free swims last year to the Mulgrave Community Pool, and free swims again this year.”

A large part of keeping the hall running, and the trucks on the road, comes from fundraising.

“Chase the Ace has been our major fundraiser for the last number of years,” MacDonald explained. “That’s the money we use to make renovations to the hall, buy new fire trucks, or things like that.”

With support from federal and provincial grants, the department used some of its funds to complete accessibility upgrades to the fire hall, including automatic door openers and accessible washrooms. But the department, like many other community groups, is feeling the pressure of a shrinking volunteer base.

“It’s not just the fire department,” MacDonald said. “A lot of groups are the same way. A lot of volunteers are dwindling down and we need more young people to be active in joining.”

Despite the challenge, he remains hopeful that community events and growing visibility will bring new energy into the department, one volunteer at a time.