Volunteer firefighters remain essential to the safety of municipalities in Quebec, but are becoming an increasingly rare commodity. The disappearance of two of them, in Charlevoix, highlights the dedication and sometimes tragic heroism of these people who dedicate themselves to serving their community.
Quebec has 21,000 firefighters in 632 fire departments. Among them, 75% work on a voluntary or part-time basis.
This was the case of Régis and Christopher Lavoie, both swept away by the current on Monday, while trying to rescue two of their fellow residents of Saint-Urbain.
Anyone who has “availability, a good sense of judgment and good physical condition” can become a volunteer firefighter in Quebec, explains André Bourassa, professional firefighter with more than 45 years of experience and vice-president of the Quebec Federation of fire safety (FQISI).
Candidates must complete mandatory training of nearly 400 hours before obtaining authorization to intervene as a volunteer firefighter – three times less than professional firefighters, who must complete a DEP of more than 1,200 hours.
“The training of volunteer firefighters is general,” explains Mr. Bourassa. It does not include any particular specialization such as, for example, rescue on a body of water. »
Quebec has not always required the successful completion of training to authorize volunteers to intervene in emergency situations. Before the 1980s, volunteer firefighters learned “on the job,” explains André Bourassa, and candidates crowded the gates to occupy these prestigious positions within their community.
“Before, a person sometimes had to wait five or six years before joining the fire department of their municipality. Today, you almost have to get on your knees to recruit candidates: people are more individualistic, they think more about themselves and they lose the notion of service to the community, ”laments the firefighter, now retired. , former lieutenant in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. “It’s more ‘I, me, me’ these days. »
” The force of the war “
The commitment of Régis Lavoie and his young colleague, Christopher, went against a heavy trend. In 20 years, the number of volunteer firefighters has fallen by 19%, calculated last February the Association of Fire Safety Chiefs of Quebec (ACSIQ). In municipalities of 10,000 inhabitants or less, such as Saint-Urbain, recruitment is difficult in 75% of cases.
“The sinews of war is money, believes André Bourassa. The budget that a municipality devotes to its fire department determines the purchase and maintenance of equipment, the amounts allocated to training, and the hiring of personnel. It all stems from that. »
According to fragmented information from Charlevoix, André Bourassa is certain that the two firefighters swept away by the current had no idea of the strength of the water when they intervened.
“In a whitewater situation, the water always gives you side thrust,” explains the former lieutenant. On the other hand, when you add mud, as was the case in Charlevoix, the force with which this thrust is exerted increases enormously, to the point where you would not be able to stand up with running water which hits you below the knee. »
The two missing were on board a machine capable of going on land and in water, but completely unsuitable for the flood that devastated the banks of the Gouffre river.
“Their amphibious boat is not made for white water. An Argo is going to be perfect for a hunter who moves in a swamp when it’s not windy and there’s no wave, explains the experienced firefighter. To me, it’s unthinkable, if not impossible, that they would have had the idea of boarding an Argo to cross a raging river. They would never have taken a chance to venture there. »
The water may have risen gradually to the point of surprising them, says “with big quotes” the vice-president of the FQISI. Perhaps the bank gave way under their vehicle, dragging the two men into the river. Perhaps, too, the sense of duty has taken over.
“We must not forget that a firefighter is another human and what differentiates us from animals is that we have emotions, recalls the retired firefighter. Sometimes it can play tricks: we don’t know anything about the circumstances, maybe they knew the people they were going to help. Sometimes, it is possible that bravery takes precedence over prudence under the influence of emotion. »
With the confirmed deaths of Christopher and Régis Lavoie, Quebec has now lost five firefighters on duty in just a year and a half. Pierre Lacroix, swept away by the current during an intervention near Montreal, in October 2021. Martin Tremblay, died in a fire in Boischâtel, near Quebec, in December of the same year. Dominic Jean, who died in the blaze that ravaged a dairy farm in March 2022, in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
Of these five men who gave their lives to serve others, four were acting as volunteers.