Firefighters from across the Maritimes are sounding the alarm about staffing levels in the region, with union representatives saying a lack of personnel is putting the public at risk.
Dozens of firefighters gathered in Charlottetown on Monday as part of the 4 Firefighters 4 Your Safety campaign.
Unions say departments throughout the Atlantic region are not meeting international standards.
“It’s the notion of two in, two out. If there’s two firefighters in the building, we need two firefighters that are outside the building, in case something goes wrong,” said Chris Ross with the International Association of Firefighters.
“They can constitute an initial rescue force to go get those firefighters.”
He says at least four firefighters should be on shift to respond to an emergency, but due to low staffing, most municipalities in the region are sending only two or three firefighters to calls.
“The firefighters have no choice but to (work) with the staff that they have on scene and work harder, and the science demonstrates that when you drop below four firefighters on a firetruck, it becomes inefficient,” Ross said.
“Not only does it become inefficient, it becomes dangerous.”
He is calling on municipal governments to expand their professional firefighting staff.
A study from the National Fire Protection Association recommends a minimum of four firefighters per truck.
“Four-person firetrucks are 30 per cent more effective completing fire-ground tasks than a two-person crew,” said Joe Triff, vice-president of Halifax Professional Firefighters.
“If you’re not equipped with the right resources and you’re still expected to do the job, you’re set up for failure.”
Halifax Fire’s deputy Chief, Dave Meldrum, told Global News he sees the advantage of having four personnel per firetruck, but declined an interview due to ongoing contract negotiations with the union.
Meanwhile, Halifax Coun. Sam Austin, who represents District 5, says recent budgets have included investments in Halifax Fire; however, it has been a struggle to keep pace with the municipality’s growth.
“It is something that we look at regularly. Whether or not it’s adequate right now, I don’t know. I take the union’s concerns really seriously and that’ll have to be something that we’ll look at,” he said.
— With a file from Rebecca Lau