Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services is the fire and rescue service of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

History

Halifax Fire Department - Plaque commemorating first Fire Department in Canada, Grand Parade (Halifax), Nova Scotia

The Halifax Fire Service is the oldest fire department in Canada (1749). It was first known as the Union Fire Club and then became the Union Engine Company (1768). Nine fire fighters were killed in the Halifax Explosion, the most ever at a single event in Canada.

In 1996, with the creation of the Halifax Regional Municipality, the Fire Service was expanded through a merger of the fire departments of the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, the town of Bedford and the many volunteer departments located throughout Halifax County.

In 2011, a museum for the Fire Department was opened in Fall River, Nova Scotia named the Regional Firefighters Interpretation Centre. Their website is www.rficns.com (The provincial firefighter museum is in Yarmouth.) Since 2012, there is an Annual Firefighter Memorial Service on June 2.

The Fallen Firefighters monument is located at Station 4, 5830 Duffus Street, Halifax.

Operations

The service is divided into 2 primary divisions:

• "Core" - Serving HRM's urban core, this division is primarily served by career staff although there are also some stations with volunteer staff. Communities and neighbourhoods are covered by this division in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Eastern Passage, Westphal, Cole Harbour and Lower Sackville. It comprises 17 stations with 432 firefighters and civilian employees.

• "Rural" - Serving HRM's large rural area in the eastern and western parts of Halifax County, this division is primarily volunteer. It comprises 32 fire departments with 44 stations, 115 trucks, 800 volunteer and 38 career firefighters organized into 5 zones.

Statistics

• 470 career firefighters
• 62 stations
• 300 Vehicles
• around 600 volunteers
• around 13,000 emergency calls per year

Station Closures

In 2013 Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Services approved the closure of Fire Stations 32 (Mooseland), 37 (Elderbank), 53 (Terrence Bay), 61 (Ketch Harbor) and 51 (Upper Hammonds Plains). These stations were Sub Stations of other Fire Stations in the area. These areas are still protected fully by HRM Fire.

References

Texts

• Allison Lawlor. 250 Years Of Progress: Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency Service. Nimbus Publishing. 2005

Author:

Endnotes

External links

• Official website
• Halifax Professional Firefighters Association

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