Fire service in the Halifax area is being scaled back over the holidays, and the firefighters union blames a lack of manpower.
Two fire stations, King Street in Dartmouth, and Lady Hammond Road in Halifax were closed through the day on Christmas Eve.
Another station in Sackville is being staffed by volunteers until Christmas morning.
The union says it’s because they don’t have enough officers.
“We’ve gone from 91 direct supervisors in the city in 2006, to present date, we have 67 supervisors available,” explains Jim Gates of the Halifax Firefighters Union.
Halifax Regional Fire spokesperson Phil McNulty said in a statement, this problem happens three to four weeks a year, around high vacation periods.
McNulty adds in his statement, “For the remainder of the year we have no problems staffing our stations to the necessary level. We would be creating a permanent solution to a temporary problem if we promoted officers that we do not need 95 per cent of the time.”
At the root of today’s argument is overtime.
Unlike Halifax Police, firefighters do not have to accept the overtime that is offered to them.
City Councillor Gloria McCluskey says it all comes down to numbers.
“The reason the fire station is being closed,” she says. “It’s very simple. We do not have enough staff. Staff is not being promoted and new hires, we hired 12 recently, but obviously we need more, and we’re not doing it.”
Both the King Street and Lady Hammond Road stations are now staffed for Wednesday night.
The Metropolitan Avenue Station in Sackville will be manned by volunteers until 8 a.m. Christmas day, when fulltime staff will take over.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Bill Dicks.
