Steve Robinson, who took over as fire chief last February, is officially retiring on Friday (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

FIREFIGHTING CHANGES

KFR chief Robinson retiring as firefighting duties ever-changing

Apr 28, 2022 | 1:35 PM

KAMLOOPS — Steve Robinson is leaving the firefighting profession, so he can enjoy the latter years of his life. He’s seen too many firefighting friends succumb to post-career ailments.

“I’m my career, I’ve seen many of my friends and co-workers die from job-related cancers. I think the number’s 10 or 11,” said Robinson, who is retiring on Friday.

Robinson spent 30 years as a firefighter, first in Surrey before spending the last six years of his career in Kamloops.

He says, sadly, more firefighters will encounter these job-related illnesses more in the future, but he adds the profession has changed — with fewer house fires, better personal protective equipment, and more medical calls, including overdoses.

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From January 2021 to now, there have been 450 overdose calls to which KFR has responded — amounting to almost one a day.

“It’s a different stressor. We’re dealing with repeat customers in many instances from the opioid issues, and I think that’s challenges to all first responders,” said Robinson. “That’s why we’ve increased our ability to provide mental health supports, and as the chief it’s my job to make sure my people are as safe as possible.”

Compared to the past, he feels more mental health supports are needed for firefighters and other first responders who he says are experiencing “compassion fatigue” and feeling burnt out.

“Yes they are, but that’s the job of the chief to help and make sure there are supports in place to manage that,” he said. “And from a higher level, as a community, how can we help to solve these problems and manage these problems?”

Robinson says it’s also about educating people interested in firefighting that it’s not what it used to be, and there needs to be a better understand about what profession you’re getting into.

“When I got hired, we didn’t talk about all the medical calls. We talked about fires. So we need to do a better job of educating people what the role of a firefighter is and how it’s changed over the years and provide those supports. I myself have been diagnosed with PTSD,” he said.

He added, “I think we just need to be honest about what the expectations are. I think people that generally want to help and want to give back to the community and are willing to do and are looking for a challenging career — whether it’s putting out a fire or performing CPR — those are very challenging skills in their own right and they’re both just as rewarding when you have successful outcomes.”

Robinson has been hired by the province and will work part-time helping communities around B.C. improve their firefighting services.