109 people start firefighter training, but that is still not enough

There has been too little influx of new firefighters for some time now, while many volunteers or professional firefighters are retiring. 109 people will start training in Zedelgem after the New Year, but that is not nearly enough.

The 109 people who will start the fire service training in January are more than welcome. Although the shortages are increasing in all zones, the distribution per zone looks like this:

West corner: 30
Midwest: 30
Fluvia: 27
Zone 1: 22

In the Westhoek zone, for example, despite the 30 new candidates, they have significant shortages. Based on the personnel plans, they are looking for 176 in the Westhoek zone alone. “Every year, 55 volunteers stop by us,” says Kristof Louagie of the Westhoek fire brigade.

“This is a success”

Nearly 30 candidates start at the Fluvia emergency zone. “In these non-obvious times where volunteering is under pressure, we consider this a success,” says zone commander Olivier Dorme. “In 2021, the number of volunteers was at a historic low with 17. Corona will undoubtedly also have played its role in this.”

Every year, some firefighters also stop. “Consider retirement, medical difficulties, or other interests.”

Youth fire brigade

All kinds of campaigns are running and a youth fire brigade has also been set up to make young people enthusiastic about the job. For some items, the deficit is so great that structural measures will be necessary. The position of volunteer firefighter is often difficult to combine with the job or with a family.