The La Broquerie Fire Department's 23 members have a combined service time of 306 years.

Fire Fighter Philip Boily has been a part of the La Broquerie fire department for 11 years and notes his dad was a fire fighter. Boily says after he went to college in Winnipeg and moved back to La Broquerie he was asked if he wanted to join the department. Boily notes it wasn't what he expected because he didn't think he would love it as much as he has adding it has become his career.

Boily says there is a training process for a fire fighter.

"The first thing you do is you take your CPR and you have to get your class 4. Once you got that then you start coming to drills and then you take your level one training which is a couple times a week for a couple months. Then you do a written exam and practical exam. Then after that you do a vehicle extrication course and a hazardous materials course. That gives the basics so you can be on the fire department."

Even though it can be a challenge Boily says it's a great thing to do if you are dedicated to your community.

Fire Chief Alain Nadeau says he joined the fire department in 1979 because he wasn't interested in committee meetings but wanted to serve his community. Nadeau notes the department looked a lot different 36 years ago.

"Oh boy. It was an old 1966 pumper from the City of Winnipeg, it went about 50 miles an hour and people would pass you on the road with it," laughs Nadeau. "And an old, old tanker with two stick shifts, very loose stick shifts. I wasn't driving it back then but the guys had a hard time with it. And a third vehicle was an equipment vehicle which was an old school bus from the City of Steinbach that we had bought to transport guys on wooden benches."

Nadeau says after 36 years being on the fire department is something he still enjoys and notes there are the basics to consider when being a fire fighter.

"It has to be an able-bodied person. You can't be scared of heights, you can't be claustrophobic, you can't be scared of smoke, you can't be scared of blood in major trauma. You have to be in fairly good physical shape. Your job matters, where you live, where you work. If your family wants you to join the fire hall or if they don't want you to join the fire hall. It's a 24 hour thing. It doesn't matter if it's 40 below and it's three in the morning, you get called out and you go. Or a day where it's 35 above and there's a structure fire, you have to dress up and you have to go. It's very demanding."

Nadeau says they are currently taking applications to have four or five more individuals join the La Broquerie Fire Department.

"Most of the guys that have come along in the last few years really enjoy [being a part of the department], they're almost fanatics about it. That's really nice. That's the kind of guys we look for, that's your best people."

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