**** Via Halifax Professional Firefighters
STRONGER STAFFING. SAFER COMMUNITIES.
Today, Halifax Regional Council will consider a request from Fire Chief Deryn Rizzi for 20 additional career fire fighters as part of the 2027/28 budget process.
Last night, #hfxfirefighters battled a major industrial fire at the grain elevators in Halifax. As the incident escalated, additional crews were called in from fire stations across the municipality, committing significant resources to a single emergency for an extended period.
The proposal would strengthen overall staffing levels and increase the planned daily staffing on three dedicated aerial apparatus in Halifax, Dartmouth, and Sackville from two fire fighters to three.
Currently, these apparatus operate with just two fire fighters, despite manufacturer guidance recommending a minimum of three, with four being the internationally recognized standard.
Halifax Professional Fire Fighters have advocated for increased aerial staffing for years. We strongly support Chief Rizzi’s request and recognize this as an important step toward improving emergency response capabilities across our municipality.
Last night’s fire was another reminder of the scale and complexity of emergencies our members respond to. While crews work to protect lives and property at one major incident, our communities continue to rely on fire fighters being available to respond to the next emergency.
Response times matter. Fire fighters in fire stations on fire trucks matter.
