In an emergency, every Second counts.

And so does every fire fighter.

Every year, fire fighters in British Columbia are asked to do more. But as call volumes rise, the number of fire fighters on staff continues to decrease – putting lives and public safety at risk.

Proper emergency response starts by ensuring every fire engine and truck has 4 fire fighters – the internationally recognized standard for firefighting. Many fire departments across British Columbia currently have only 2 or 3 fire fighters per apparatus. Some departments are even sending fire fighters on calls by themselves, threatening the safety of both the fire fighter and the community at large.

The British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Association (BCPFFA) urges all municipalities to ensure that when Canadians call for help, 4 fire fighters are on duty and ready to assist them.

NFPA 1710; Changes to Fireground Staffing Levels for Career Fire Departments

NFPA 1710 provides the minimum requirements relating to the organization and deployment of fire suppression operations, emergency medical operations, and special operations to the public by career fire departments.

Fire Fighting is a science, and how many fire fighters show up when you call 911 should not come down to politics.

The NFPA 1710 standard is based on science and research and it says fire engines and ladders should always each have a minimum of four firefighters.

Our industry uses a standard called NFPA 1710 to determine how to properly staff fire halls, fire trucks and ambulances.

For the 2016 edition of the standard, subsection 5.2.4 on fire department service deployment was revised to include three new occupancies, along with the appropriate response staffing levels for each. The minimum staffing level for each occupancy is listed below. (For the full breakdown of staffing requirements by position, refer to the subsections specific to each occupancy in 5.2.4.)