Interviews are being completed for the second phase of an ambitious hiring spree for Nanaimo Fire Rescue. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

help on the way

Nanaimo fire chief optimistic about reinforcements amid high call volumes

Jul 16, 2024 | 5:24 AM

NANAIMO — Building up the number of firefighters to more effectively serve the community is starting to pay off, according to Nanaimo Fire Rescue.

Chief Tim Doyle expects by March 1, 2025, they’ll have a combined 40 additional firefighters in the fold, for a total of 125.

The first of a two-round hiring process saw 20 additional members join the NFR ranks last August and September, Doyle said.

“In 2025 we will have another fire truck staffed with phase two of the Master Plan that will also create for more resiliency in our community for large incidents as well as responding to concurrent incidents,” Doyle told NanaimoNewsNOW, adding their becoming better positioned to respond to tasks like wildfires and large high-rise fires.

The chief expanded on the need for more resources, particularly at their busiest No. 1 and 2 halls.

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NFR crews respond to around 12,000 calls annually, involving medical aid calls, fires, motor vehicle crashes, and a range of rescues and hazardous material incidents.

Fifty to 65 per cent of NFR callouts are medical aid related, with Doyle noting 1,900 drug toxicity tasks were responded to by NFR members last year.

A net new fire engine is slated to arrive either next year or in early in 2026, according to Doyle.

“Twenty to 25 per cent of the time we’re running calls concurrently, so if we have all of our resources attributed to one incident, the only way to respond to the other incidents was to call in off-duty members, which was generally a significant delay to get people in.”

Doyle said the interviews are being completed before anyone is hired and their two-month in-house training program can begin.

“They come with training, but we also like to make sure that they understand our framework and practices and can hit the ground running.”

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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes