Firefighters association flags concern over apparatus shortage
'Clearly, we don't have enough fire apparatus to adequately protect Calgarians,' he said. 'Seconds matter in an emergency and without the proper equipment, our firefighters are stretched dangerously thin.
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'With a municipal election around the corner, we need local leaders to recognize public safety needs to be a priority.'
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Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian said the current council has increased the CFD budget substantially since being elected in 2021, thanks to firefighters' previous advocacy for more resources before and after that election.
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She pointed to council approving a $76-million increase to CFD's capital budget and $63 million more for the department's operating budget for the 2023-26 four-year budget.
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This spending allowed CFD to hire 200 additional firefighters and to add two medical response units, she said, as well as two temporary fire halls on the city's outskirts — one in Haskayne and one in Hotchkiss.
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Less than two weeks ago, CFD and city officials cut the ribbon on a new $53-million fire station in Varsity, which also features affordable housing and a future space for a child-care facility.
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But Mian, who is not running for re-election this year, noted that Calgary's growth since 2021 means more funding for the fire department will likely be necessary when the next council considers the 2027-30 budget cycle.
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'We recognize that as a growing city, we need to continue to fund the fire department well,' she said Monday.
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Mian also argued that fire response times in her ward were 17 seconds faster than the city average in 2024. She cited an annual report that of more than 2,500 priority responses in Ward 3 last year, 87 per cent met the response time target of seven minutes.
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'We've had really good firefighting service for the types of incidents we have had,' she said. 'I appreciate what (the firefighters' association is) saying, but I would assure people that we do have good coverage.
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'That said, as we continue to build out north of Stoney . . . we're going to have to keep investing.'
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A statement from the fire department Monday said the tower truck for Station 31 experienced 'unexpected mechanical issues' that required it to temporarily be removed from service. The truck has been returned to the station 'with no impacts' to public safety.
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'The Calgary Fire Department's fleet of fire trucks and other apparatus is dynamically deployed across the city,' it said. 'Trucks move about depending on what is required to ensure fire response coverage and are sometimes subject to maintenance requirements.'
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