Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency

Last updated
Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency
(HRFE)
Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency crest.png
Operational area
Country Canada
Agency overview
Established1754 (as Halifax Fire Service), 1996 (as Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency)
Employees489 (2016)
StaffingCareer & Volunteer
Fire chief Ken Stuebing
EMS level BLS First Responder
IAFF 268
Facilities and equipment
Stations 51
Engines 48
Trucks 38
Quints 7
Squads 10
HAZMAT 1
Website
www.halifax.ca/fire-police/fire

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services provides fire protection, rescue and first responder assistance throughout Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Contents

History

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

Halifax originated as a British fortification in 1749, followed by Dartmouth in 1750 and Sackville in 1751. The Halifax Fire Service is the oldest fire department in Canada (1754). It was first known as the Union Fire Club and then became the Union Engine Company (1768). [1] The Dartmouth Fire Department was eventually formed on the east side of the harbour in 1861.

Nine fire fighters were killed in the Halifax Explosion, the most ever at a single event in Canada. [2]

In 1996, with the creation of the newly amalgamated Halifax Regional Municipality, the Fire Service was consolidated 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. At that time, there were 515 career fire fighters and 1,200 volunteer firefighters from a total of 38 fire departments would become part of the new organization. This extremely diverse entity was brought together under Fire Chief Gary Greene and Deputy Chiefs Michael Eddy and William Mosher.

The department is currently led by Fire Chief Ken Stuebing, Deputies Peter Andrews, Dave Meldrum, Roy Hollett and Corey Beals.

In 2011, a museum to commemorate the history of fire fighting in Nova Scotia, with special attention to the Halifax region was opened in Fall River, Nova Scotia named the Regional Firefighters Interpretation Centre. Their website is www.rficns.com There is a provincial firefighter museum 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 consists of a total of 51 stations, 489 career firefighters and civilian employees, over 600 volunteer firefighters, and is divided into 2 primary divisions:

In addition to regular urban and rural firefighting services, HRFE also provides Technical Rescue, Water and Ice Rescue, Hazardous Materials, and Medical First Responder services. Under the currently suspended Federal USAR Task Force program, HRFE had been designated as CAN TF-5, one of 5 HUSAR teams from across Canada. HRFE is also equipped and trained for CBRN response.

Statistics

Apparatus

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. As well, Station 62 (Harrietsfield) suffered a fire in Jan 2015 that closed the station permanently. These areas are still protected fully by HRM Fire.

A new Station 62 is currently being constructed in Williamswood to replace Stations 62 and 63, and is scheduled to open November 2020. As well the process to relocate Stations 8 (Bedford) and 9 (Lower Sackville) to centralize them in areas of rapid growth is underway.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dartmouth, Nova Scotia</span> Urban community in Canada

Dartmouth is an urban community and former city located in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada. Dartmouth is located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour. Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes, after the large number of lakes located within its boundaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Explosion</span> 1917 maritime disaster in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the waters of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Mont-Blanc, laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond district of Halifax. At least 1,782 people were killed, largely in Halifax and Dartmouth, by the blast, debris, fires, or collapsed buildings, and an estimated 9,000 others were injured. The blast was the largest human-made explosion at the time. It released the equivalent energy of roughly 2.9 kilotons of TNT (12 TJ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax, Nova Scotia</span> Capital and most populous municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. Halifax is one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, and as of 2022, it is estimated that the CMA population of Halifax was 480,582, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, and Halifax County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford Basin</span> Bay in Nova Scotia, Canada

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Waverley is a suburban community of the Halifax Regional Municipality, in Nova Scotia, Canada. It has a rich history in gold mining. It lies north of Dartmouth, and south of Fall River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Harbour</span> Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada

Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural harbours in the world. Before Confederation it was one of the most important commercial ports on the Atlantic seaboard. In 1917, it was the site of the world's largest man-made accidental explosion, when the SS Mont-Blanc blew up in the Halifax Explosion of December 6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Regional Police</span>

The Halifax Regional Police (HRP) is one of a number of law enforcement agencies operating in the Halifax, Nova Scotia; the other primaries being the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Forces Military Police. The city also is home to a small detachment of the Canadian National Railway Police.

The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) in Nova Scotia, Canada has a widely varied geography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Halifax, Nova Scotia</span> Aspect of history

The community of Halifax, Nova Scotia was created on 1 April 1996, when the City of Dartmouth, the City of Halifax, the Town of Bedford, and the County of Halifax amalgamated and formed the Halifax Regional Municipality. The former City of Halifax was dissolved, and transformed into the Community of Halifax within the municipality.

Burnside Drive is a four-lane divided roadway, with a speed limit of 80 km/h, that serves the Burnside Business Park in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) community of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The road parallels Highway 118, running north from exit 3 of Highway 111 to Akerley Boulevard, a western extension of Highway 107. Although some maps produced by the province show Burnside Drive, as well as a portion of Akerley Boulevard, as part of Highway 107, these roads are actually maintained by the HRM, and Highway 107 becomes Akerley Boulevard about halfway between Highway 118 and Burnside Drive.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia</span> Place in Nova Scotia, Canada

Musquodoboit Harbour is a rural community located in Nova Scotia, Canada within the Halifax Regional Municipality. The community is situated on the Eastern Shore at the mouth of the Musquodoboit River. The community lies 45 kilometres east of downtown Halifax. With a hospital, RCMP detachment, postal outlet, schools, recreational center, library, municipal office and other services, Musquodoboit Harbour is a serve centre for many of the surrounding communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Halifax, Nova Scotia</span>

Halifax, Nova Scotia, with the largest urban population in Atlantic Canada, is a major sporting centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Halifax, Nova Scotia</span>

Transport in Halifax, Nova Scotia consists of a variety of modes.

The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is a major generator of economic activity in Atlantic Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government in Halifax, Nova Scotia</span>

Halifax Regional Municipality, formally known as Halifax is located in Nova Scotia, Canada. The municipality is governed by a mayor and a sixteen-person Regional Council, who are elected by geographic district; municipal elections occur every leap year.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroLink (Halifax)</span>

MetroLink was Halifax Regional Municipality's former BRT express bus service, operated by Halifax Transit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amalgamation of the Halifax Regional Municipality</span>

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References

  1. "Canada's Oldest Fire Department Since 1754". Archived from the original on 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
  2. "Saltwire | Halifax".

Coordinates: 44°42′29″N63°34′41″W / 44.708°N 63.578°W / 44.708; -63.578