The shortage of Firefighters across Canada is a growing crisis, as well as a disaster. In 2016, when I became Fire Chief, there were over 126,000 volunteer firefighters in Canada. In 2023, that number diminished by over 37,000. The unfortunate clarity of the shortage of firefighters makes many communities, including the Rainy River District, ill-prepared to manage a true emergency due to low staffing levels.
The staffing shortage in Canada has been widely documented on social media, television, radio, print media and just about everywhere else, directly in public view. As well, three major reports came out over the course of three years, which were entitled The Great Canadian Volunteer Firefighter Census 2021, The Great Canadian Fire Census 2022, and The Great Canadian Fire Census 2023. There are extreme challenges to maintaining well trained, well prepared, and ready to respond fire rescue personnel; it is at an all-time-low.
NO TIME COMMITMENT (TIME & FAMILY, THE MOST PRECIOUS THINGS TO PEOPLE)
Fact, the constraints on today’s working families makes it impossible for many people to serve in any type of volunteer capacity, let alone as a Volunteer Firefighter. Another key factor as to why people do not join a fire service is that it is an on-demand service, as well as being a dangerous occupation.
FIREFIGHTING IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS
Being a Firefighter…Full-time or Volunteer is one of the most dangerous jobs around due to the risks and exposures.
The Cancer Carcinogens (Hazards) that firefighters can be exposed to is one reason why the job is dangerous. Firefighters are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with invasive cancer than the average person. In fact, there are 19 –Prescribed Cancers recognized by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) in Ontario that firefighters can acquire, which are work-related occupational diseases presumed to occur due to the nature of worker’s employment as a firefighter. The World Health Organization has classified firefighter occupational exposure as a group 1 carcinogen.
Because of the public’s expectations, it is important that Fire Chiefs of communities inform the public and Council of the Fire Service’s response capability to all the occupancy types within their respected community. In fact, this should be a part of every fire services education campaign.
Also, it is inappropriate to silently pretend what a fire service’s response capability is and leave the impression that you can adequately respond to all types of structures and occupancies, as well as other types of emergency incidents.
Meanwhile, in the Town of Fort Frances, our fire rescue service responds to the following occupancy types:
- Single family detached residential occupancy;
- Semi-detached residential occupancy;
- Multi-unit low rise residential occupancy;
- Low-rise, sprinklered long term care facility with multiple residents;
- Low-rise hospital facility with patients;
- Schools, theatres, arenas, institutional occupancies that accommodate large crowds for classes or events.
Most recently, our fire rescue service responded to a fully involved fire at a single family detached residential occupancy. Thankfully, all six full-time firefighters responded along with only four volunteer firefighters.
In addition, the current staffing levels of experienced and certified firefighters within our community presents many challenges, as well as the ability to do all the simultaneous tasks that are required in order to successfully carry out interior fire suppression operations. However, there is part within the By-Law, which establishes and regulates our fire rescue service that states that we shall provide exterior structural fire fighting services with no expected rescue in circumstances where adequate resources are not available to provide interior services with rescue, or when fire has progressed beyond a tenable environment for fire fighters to enter.
Going forward, ongoing data shows a disturbing consistency; the future for the Canadian Fire Service … more so the volunteer firefighting sector is precarious; challenges with recruitment and retention will always be the true reality.
