The union representing Pitt Meadows firefighters asserts there are problems with the paid-on-call system in the city, that were highlighted by a house fire early on Sunday morning, May 3.
The fire broke out at 12:30 a.m. at a house on 117 A Avenue, leaving one family burned out and a second house damaged, as, what the union described as a skeleton crew of firefighters, battled the blaze.
The ‘letter to our community’ posted in social media by the IAFF local 4810 said two firefighters were hurt battling the blaze, as they were understaffed, and members responded who were not their most experienced.
“A single crew of four firefighters worked to save three homes, essentially doing the job of 15,” said the post. “Eventually only three paid on call members with limited qualifications responded. Only seven firefighters continued to battle the fire, and interior operations had to be delayed until Maple Ridge responded to help due to limited resources.”
Paid-on-call firefighters are community members trained to provide emergency response when they are paged. In the past, they were called volunteer firefighters.
The firefighters worked every phase of the incident without rehabilitation or medical assessment, as outlined by industry standards, said the post. Two firefighters were hurt, and while their injuries were not severe, they will result in time loss and a recovery period, said the union.
“Our members will always go above and beyond to protect our community,” said the union.
“However this incident, like many others, highlights the challenges of the current staffing model. We recognize there have been significant investments in ensuring a fully staffed first engine. However, that assumed there was adequate backup for larger incidents.
“The paid on call model is failing to keep up. It can no longer be relied upon. A lack of qualified resources directly effects our ability to keep you safe and keep ourselves safe.
“This incident is not a one off, it is the unfortunate state of the current response model.”
Firefighters said they are committed to working with city administration to address these issues.
The News has reached out to Mayor Nicole MacDonald and CAO Mark Roberts for comment.