The report comes at a time when municipal firefighters are more often confronting fires in the wildland-urban interface, a term for the space between the forest and populated land
A helicopter carrying water flies over heavy smoke from an out-of-control fire in a suburban community outside of Halifax that spread quickly, engulfing multiple homes and forcing the evacuation of local residents on May 28, 2023.Municipal firefighters in Halifax who battled a devastating wildfire over several weeks last spring in the city’s wooded suburbs didn’t have adequate training, experience or equipment, says a new report produced by Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency.
Across Canada, fire departments saw a 10-per-cent jump in 2023 for weather-related calls, including hurricanes, heat domes and wildfires, according to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, which collects the data year over year. It has led the group to advocate the federal government for the creation of a national fire administration, like the one in the U.S., which oversees co-ordination of fire response and has a training academy and funding.
Among the 52 recommendations in the report was a call to update the city’s wildland-urban interface strategy, firefighter training, public education, wildland fire equipment, technology and vehicles. Association president Brendan Meagher said the report overlooked poor planning and implementation, and he demanded immediate action “to ensure that our firefighters are properly supported and equipped to handle future emergencies.”
Report Halifax Training Equipment Wildfire Canada Firefighters Association Halifax Alberta
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