City firefighters union warns of low staffing levels

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This article was published 28/04/2025 (187 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s firefighters’ union is pleading for reinforcements, warning low staffing levels and soaring overtime have triggered a five-alarm fire inside the emergency service.

A new report, prepared by the United Firefighters of Winnipeg, calls on the city to hire 59 new full-time firefighters or risk burning out existing staff.

“Winnipeg firefighters are being asked to do more with less. We have been for decades. We’ve passed the point of it continuing to be viable,” union president Nick Kasper said in a phone interview.

“The longer we wait, the more expensive it’s going to be, both in financial terms and in human toll.”

Kasper met with Mayor Scott Gillingham last week to present him with the eight-page report, which compiled data on service calls, injuries and budget overruns to make a case for the new hires.

The document warned of “unprecedented strain” within the WFPS, which the union said has fewer firefighters on shift daily (167) than it did in 1981 (170) — making it the “leanest fire service in the country.”

Winnipeg’s 933 firefighters responded to nearly 154,000 fire and medical calls last year, making them among the busiest fire crews in Canada. Those included 200 vacant structure fires, the rate of which has increased 245 per cent since 2018 (58), according to union data.

The fire department is “under-resourced by every modern standard,” including the city’s own strategic plan for the WFPS, the union said.

Kasper pointed to the WFPS’s $13-million deficit last year, which included a $7-million overrun of the overtime budget.

The union leader believes boosting staffing would reduce the fire department’s reliance on overtime hours and provide a more sustainable service model.

The union estimated 59 new firefighter positions would cost WFPS about $8 million in 2026, which would rise to $9.7 million by 2029, the report said.

“I respect the constraints that (city) council is working within. We’re not asking for more money, we are asking for the money that’s already been spent to be reinvested in a smarter way.”– United Firefighters of Winnipeg union president Nick Kasper

“I respect the constraints that (city) council is working within,” Kasper said. “We’re not asking for more money, we are asking for the money that’s already been spent to be reinvested in a smarter way.

“You’re spending that money anyway, but you’re doing it in a way that is at the expense of our members’ health.”

Speaking by phone, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he was not surprised by the union’s demand for more staffing; Winnipeg’s population is growing and call volumes are high, he said.

He noted the provincial government provided millions in its latest budget to support 24 new firefighters in Winnipeg.

Kasper said a class of 30 fire recruits will be deployed soon, but said those new positions will only cover staff attrition.

Gillingham wants to see the impact those new crews will have on the service before committing to the union’s hiring target, he said.

“I think those new firefighters are going at least give us at least a bit of a glimpse as to the degree to which it reduces overtime hours. It may not fully cover it, but I think it will help us understand,” Gillingham said.

Meanwhile, the city is seeking alternative ways to reduce strain on the fire service, including addressing the scourge of vacant and derelict buildings. It also continues to lobby the provincial government to fund the creation of a new emergency services agency dedicated to responding to mental health incidents, Gillingham said.

The mayor said he has raised the proposal in several conversations with Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith, whose portfolio includes mental health.

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Gillingham said the minister’s office is currently reviewing the Mental Health Act to determine whether such an agency would require legislative changes.

Smith confirmed she was exploring the proposal last October.

Asked for an update on Friday, a spokesperson for the minister said that process is ongoing.

Kasper stressed relief for fire crews must come as soon as possible.

The union found more than 17,600 working hours were lost last year due to psychological injuries within the WFPS. Fire crews accounted for about 16 per cent of those.

Kasper suggested many such injuries go unreported by firefighters, who make “personal sacrifices… in an effort to keep trucks on the road and stations operating.”

“We’re a very violent city, so… we are exposed to a number of catastrophic, acute (incidents) almost on a shift-by-shift basis,” he said.

A firefighter survey conducted by the union between March 28 and April 4 found 98 per cent of respondents feel burnout is a serious concern; 98 per cent reported they suffer from work-related stress; and 98 per cent believe their psychological health is under threat.

Kasper said about 12 per cent of firefighters participated in the survey.

WFPS officials were not made available for an interview Friday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

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