Community & Volunteer Service · · By Merrickville Firefighters Association
When an emergency happens, the people answering the call may have been at their regular jobs, sitting down to dinner or asleep beside their families. Across Ontario, volunteer firefighters make a personal commitment to be available when their neighbours need help. That commitment supports public safety and helps communities provide emergency services they can afford.
An essential part of Ontario’s fire service
In its 2025 Fire Protection Grant announcement, the Ontario government reported more than 20,000 volunteer firefighters, alongside more than 12,500 full-time and almost 400 part-time firefighters. Those figures show how much the province depends on people who combine firefighting with other careers and responsibilities.
Depending on their department’s capabilities, volunteers respond to fires, vehicle collisions, medical emergencies, rescues and other incidents. They also contribute to prevention, public education and community activities. In places such as Merrickville-Wolford, they are neighbours helping neighbours through some of life’s most difficult moments.
The commitment continues between calls
Responding is only part of the job. Volunteers devote evenings and weekends to training, practising teamwork and maintaining the skills their duties require. Equipment checks, cleaning and restoring vehicles after an incident help prepare the crew for the next call.
There is a personal cost: interrupted sleep, missed celebrations and time away from family. Difficult incidents can also leave an emotional burden. Partners, children and employers share in this commitment by adapting plans and supporting firefighters’ availability. Their contribution deserves recognition too.
How volunteers save communities money
A volunteer or paid-on-call model can reduce the recurring staffing costs of providing emergency protection. Many departments compensate volunteers for calls or training, so “volunteer” does not necessarily mean unpaid. Municipalities must still fund protective equipment, apparatus, facilities, insurance, training and appropriate leadership.
For a clear illustration, suppose a staffing option required 10 full-time positions costing an assumed $100,000 each per year in salary and employer costs. That would total $1 million annually. If a suitable volunteer staffing arrangement cost an assumed $250,000 annually, the difference would be $750,000 per year.
This is an illustrative calculation, not an estimate of Merrickville-Wolford’s savings or a recommendation for its staffing. A real comparison must provide equivalent coverage and account for call demand, availability, response requirements, compensation and all associated costs. Ten positions do not imply ten firefighters continuously on duty.
The exact local savings require a municipal budget and an equivalent-service staffing analysis. The financial contribution is nevertheless meaningful: volunteers supply time and skills that would otherwise require additional paid staffing. Effective prevention and emergency response can also limit damage and disruption, although those benefits are not quantified here.
A valuable service needs continued support
Recognizing these savings means investing in the people who make them possible. Safe equipment, strong training, mental-health support and practical recruitment and retention efforts help sustain a dependable service. Volunteer availability has limits, and staffing decisions must follow the community’s needs.
Residents can help by supporting association activities, thanking firefighters and their families, and considering whether they could serve. Employers can contribute by supporting members’ training and emergency availability where practical.
The Merrickville Firefighters Association is proud to support the people who answer the call—and the families and community behind them.
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Sources & financial note
Ontario government: 2025 Fire Protection Grant announcement and firefighter counts
Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs: 2025 Great Canadian Fire Census
Financial example: (10 × $100,000) − $250,000 = $750,000. All example costs are assumptions; no local savings figure has been verified.