A fire broke out at a house in downtown Moncton on Sunday. During the intervention, the city’s firefighters needed help from their colleagues from Riverview and Dieppe. For the firefighters’ association, this fire demonstrates the lack of resources.
The fire started Sunday morning around 9:30 a.m. in the attic of this rehabilitation house for men located at 86 Church Street. The eight residents had to be evacuated and rehoused with relatives or other alternative residence establishments, the organization which manages the premises.
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This rehabilitation home is located on the corner of Victoria and Church Streets, in Moncton, New Brunswick. It fell prey to flames on October 13, 2024.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Myriam Breau
None of them were injured. At this time, firefighters do not suspect that the fire was caused by foul play.
A daily workforce that would not have been seen in 50 years
However, the intervention was considered difficult by the Moncton fire chief. It required the intervention of 17 firefighters. To respond to other calls at the same time, firefighters had to call on their colleagues from Riverview and Dieppe.
A request which is far from being an isolated case. On Facebook, the Moncton Firefighters Association pointed out the lack of manpower. This once again highlights the need for more staff and resources to cope with the city’s growth
they write.
The association also claims that the Moncton firefighters the same minimum daily workforce since the 1970s
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Conrad Landry is Moncton’s fire chief. (Archive photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada
Conrad Landry, the Moncton fire chief, recognizes that the population increases, the number of calls increases, the complexity of calls increases so it’s not just emergency fires, it’s medical calls, dangerous products, rescue calls, etc.
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An ongoing needs review
To try to remedy these difficulties encountered by the service, the firefighters asked the city’s municipal council for an external review of current needs and for the 10 years to come.
This is currently in progress.
Do we need more firefighters? Different equipment? […] We don’t want to make a decision without having good information.
The firm must present a master plan at the end of December to the fire department. This action plan will then be presented to the municipal council in early 2025.
With information from Myriam Breau
