Who We Are

The Shawnigan Lake Volunteer Fire Department is a group of committed and dedicated individuals who possess strong social traits and a desire to help their community by offering fire protection and related services in the Shawnigan Lake area.

Pagers alert members of the Shawnigan Lake Volunteer Fire Department when there is an emergency call. The firefighters go to one of three fire stations or the Fire & Rescue Marine Boathouse where they respond with the appropriate apparatus. 

The department consists of about 40 members and has a command officer structure of one Fire Chief, one Deputy Chief, two Captains and four Lieutenants. The department derives authority to operate from a bylaw enacted by the Shawnigan Improvement District to establish and operate a fire department within the boundaries of the Shawnigan Improvement District.

How We Train

Members practise every Wednesday evening from 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM. Training prepares firefighters for a number of different situations they could find themselves responding to, including, but not limited to, structure fires, medical calls, MVIs (motor vehicle incidents), hazardous material calls, confined space rescue, high-angle rescue, water and ice rescue, and more. We also provide mutual aid assistance to other fire departments outside of our district when they require additional resources. In addition to our weekly training, we also practise high-angle rope rescue and confined space rescue on the last Monday of every month. 

Apart from our regular weekly and monthly training sessions, the fire department also provides its members specialized training and recertification courses throughout the year, which typically take place on weekends. These courses are all conducted in-house at Station 1 unless otherwise specified and include:

  • Live Fire 101 and Live Fire 201 (in Nanaimo)
  • First Responder Certification
  • Rope and Confined Space Rescue to the NFPA 1006 and 1670 standards
  • EVO Certification
  • Traffic Control Certification
  • Basic theory for firefighting which complies with NFPA Standard 1001 for Firefighter Level 1 (this is a series of online computer courses that are completed on the member’s own computer or on the department’s computer)
  • Hazmat Awareness 
  • SPP-WFF1 (Structural Protection Program – Wildland Firefighting)

Commitment and Dedication 

A willingness to learn and a commitment to training is required, and expected, of all firefighters. Applicants must be dedicated to developing new skills and have a desire to be a part of a team where trust and confidence in each other is paramount.

The rewards are few but the personal satisfaction of assisting our community is huge. If you think you have what it takes, please download and complete the application form found below. Applications can be emailed to shawniganfire@shaw.ca or dropped off at Station 1 (1645 Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Road) during one of our weekly training sessions on Wednesdays, between 7pm and 10pm.

Thanks you for your interest in becoming a volunteer firefighter! Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions! 

Downloadable Application Information for Regular Members

Membership Application Information

Firefighter Job Description

Employment Application

Information for Junior Members (16 – 19 yrs)

Junior Firefighter Program Guidelines

Junior Firefighter Application

Train Like Your Life Depends On It. Because It Does.