Who can join SCFP Spouse Association?
All married or common law spouses of Strathcona County Firefighter Paramedics are welcome to join the SCFP Spouse Association, including the spouses of new recruits yet to start and the spouses of former or retired Strathcona County Firefighter Paramedics. We appreciate the wealth of wisdom that comes from lived experience and are grateful for the support of those who have come before us.
Who is invited to SCFP Meetings?
All married, common law spouses, or otherwise significant others of new recruits yet-to-start, current, former, or retired Strathcona County Firefighter Paramedics are welcome to attend SCFP meetings.
Why are some areas of this website password protected?
Some of our information and resources are somewhat confidential and we prefer they not be viewable to the public.
That said, SCFPSA strives to be as inclusive as possible and offers support to all loved ones of First Responders. Please reach out using the Contact tab of this website if you have questions we can help you with or if you’re having trouble accessing protected pages.
Why can’t Firefighter Paramedics join this group?
They can… so long as they are in a committed love relationship with another Strathcona County Firefighter Paramedic.
We have no problem with a Member using their Spouse’s passwords to access the information on this website, and we are working with Union Local 2461 to share all information beneficial to both SCFP Members and their Spouses. However, there are some SCFPSA spaces which are held for the Spouses of First Responders, only. This includes our private Facebook Group and our meetings.
This is because while the greatest intention of both Members and Spouses is to support one another, some of our needs are different. In the same way a Spouse can’t completely understand the experiences of their SCFP Member, the SCFP Member (in most cases) hasn’t walked in the shoes of their parter. Sometimes protected space is needed in order to relate to others in shared situations.
SCFP Members should rest assured, however, that all public discussions are conducted respectfully, delicately, and in deep appreciation of our First Responders. While more intimate details may be shared in the smaller, one-on-one conversations that organically occur between close friends, our discussions online and in meetings are focused on propping up our First Responders and their families as a whole. The details of individual members will not be discussed in these public settings and a discretion policy will be created to help ensure privacy protection.
Please know we place upmost respect on member privacy, and we appreciate the respect members show ours.
Seriously. We love you guys.
How do I become a member?
It’s easy! Our association is privately run (i.e., unaffiliated with Strathcona County) and fairly informal. If you are the married or common law spouse of an Strathcona County Firefighter (new recruit, current, former, or retired), just sign up for our email list to stay in the loop of what’s going on or contact us if you’d like to volunteer your time or skills. You can also join our private Facebook Group.
How can I join the SCFPSA Facebook Group?
The SCFPSA Facebook Group is set to “closed,” which means it can be found in a search engine but nonmembers can’t see its membership body or read our discussion. SCFP Spouses can request to be added to the group and will be approved by an administrator.
What goes on in the Private Facebook Group?
The SCFPSA Facebook Group is a tool in which to build community and enhance communication. Spouses who rarely have the opportunity to connect with our “fire family” can get to know one another in this group. We use it to pass along department information and news, share our lives, and celebrate milestones. This group exists for you: Spouses are welcome to share photos, ask questions, propose an event, invite others to celebrations, introduce their business, or help sell out their kid’s cookie dough fundraiser – anything they like. That said, please be aware that while the group’s content is invisible to those who haven’t joined, the forum is still a public setting: intimate details – especially regarding individual SCFP Members – should not be posted.
I have an idea for an event or program. Who do I speak to?
Thanks for your interest! Please send us a message using the contact form on the bottom of this page.
I feel so “out of the loop.” How do we fix this?
It’s our ultimate goal to build community, support our Firefighter Paramedics, and empower their Spouses. We want to connect with you. Some ways you can connect with us involve signing up for SCFPSA emails or joining the private Facebook Group for the Spouses of Strathcona County Firefighter Paramedics. If you would like to connect face to face, please feel free to reach out to one of our SCFP Outreach Team Members. Each member of our outreach is also SCFP Spouse and would be happy to meet with you over coffee to chat, help you meet other SCFP Spouses, or even just share your friendship online. Or, just contact us using the contact form on the bottom of this page.
I need help. Is there anyone I can talk to?
Yes! There are many resources available ranging from our informal secret Facebook Group community to our offered SCFPSA Outreach Team. We also list formal, vetted supports such as psychologist and counsellors under the Member Resources and Private Resources tab of the Member Area section of this website. At a loss? Send us a message through the contact form at the bottom of this page and we’ll do whatever we can to help you.
I’m great at event planning / connecting people / organizing meetings/ etc. How can I volunteer?
We appreciate all skills and time offered. Please contact us using the contact form on the bottom of this page.
I have no childcare. How can I attend meetings and events?
We intimately know this struggle and we are trying to help our Spouses with young children in a few different ways. Babes-in-arms are almost always welcome at our events, so please bring nursing or bottle fed infants with you (be prepared, we will want to hold them and squeeze them and we might start talking in dat yiddle silly baby voice won’t we? yes we will yes we will… uh oh. See?)
We also do our very best to accommodate older children by holding meetings or events at places where they can play. One such place is The Little Sweatshop, a gym owned by one of our SCFPSA members (this gym boasts lots of kids toys and even a climbing structure!).
At meetings held at Station Six, a room adjacent to our meeting room can be booked. Children of babysitting-age within our department families can be brought in to watch over the smaller ones in the room next to our meeting area.
To help with childcare in other situations, we are developing a Babysitter Directory: a list of SCFPSA-vetted local sitters.
Can I list my business in the SCFPSA Business Directory?
Is it owned by either a Strathcona County Firefighter Paramedic or his or her Spouse? Then yes, please, absolutely! Contact us with the details using the form at the bottom of this page.
Can I recommend a Professional Service in the SCFPSA Private Resources tab?
You sure can! All services listed must be vetted by a SCFP Spouse or Member first and if that’s you, please get in touch.
Can I recommend a childminder for the Babysitter’s Directory?
Yes please! All Babysitters must be recommended by at least one SCFP Spouse who has used their services. We’ll also need consent from the Babysitter to post their contact information on our privacy-protected page, and if that sitter is under the age of eighteen, we’ll need his or her parent’s permission. Send us a message!