Population growth and wildfire risk prompts 24/7 fire service expansion in Hammonds Plains, N.S.
The charred trees lining Hammonds Plains Road lead straight towards Halifax Fire Station 50.
They are a stark reminder of how close the wildfire came to the fire station and the destruction along the path of the fire, which destroyed dozens of homes and businesses in the Hammonds Plains, N.S., area in May 2023 and forced hundreds to flee their homes.
Station 50 is now set to convert to around-the-clock service after the Halifax Regional Council passed its budget earlier this week.
The destructive wildfire and risk of future wildfires isn't the only reason for the need to expand fire services in the area. There's also the steady population growth in the community, which is seeing more people moving to the region.
“We base our decisions on data and a number of different factors in our community risk analysis," said Scott Ramey, assistant fire chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency.
Before the 2024 - 2025 budget approval, Station 50 in Hammonds Plains was operating with four full-time firefighters on site 10.5 hours a day during the week, with a contingent of volunteer firefighters backfilling on weekends and evenings.
The area's population surge alone justified the jump to 24/7 service says Hammonds Plains councillor Pam Lovelace, who has been pushing for round-the-clock fire service in the area since she was elected to council in 2020.
Lovelace says Halifax council should never have had to debate and approve Station 50 going 24/7 in the first place, because they meet the threshold standards to increase service.
“This should not be a decision that’s made by council and it shouldn’t be determined on which district gets it," said Lovelace. "If the community hits that population threshold, the community should get a 24/7 station.”
That threshold is 100 persons per square kilometre and Lovelace says the Hammonds Plains area passed that threshold two years ago.
On Tuesday, Halifax council approved $2 million in the budget to go towards expanding fire services at Station 50, where they’ll need to hire 15 firefighters to go round the clock.
“They’ll go through our career firefighter recruitment class which will graduate around December 2024, with a target of having them in the station in early 2025," said Ramey.
Other factors went into expanding the fire service in Hammonds Plains, like the record wildfire last summer and the risk of future wildfires which put extra emphasis on the need for increased service.
“The wildfire is something we saw as a major risk and it reinforced the fact that we need to address those risks and have the proper staffing to deal with it," said Ramey.
Halifax Fire does have a comprehensive wildfire strategy said Ramey, pointing out that the fire service just hired a wildfire mitigation manager to oversee that operation.
Councillor Lovelace says they know the area is still prone to be a wildfire risk and having 24/7 service is something the community has been calling for.
"It just means firefighters can respond immediately," said Lovelace. "We need better fire protection."
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
RateMDs violates privacy of health professionals, class-action lawsuit claims
A lawsuit against RateMDs has been given the go-ahead by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who found the claim that the website violates the privacy rights of medical professionals is not 'bound to fail.'
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.