FireDOC Search

Author
Karter, M. J., Jr.
Title
Fire Departments in Canada, 2002-2004.
Coporate
National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
Keywords
fire departments | fire fighters | fire fighting vehicles | fire pumps
Identifiers
career fire fighters; volunteer fire fighters; community size; median rates; Canada
Abstract
The median staffing rate for career fire departments in Canada is roughly one firefighter per 1,000 people. The median rates for volunteer firefighters, apparatus, and stations are much higher in smaller communities due to the need to have at least a minimum number of firefighters and resources to operate a department. Compared to U.S. fire departments, Canadian communities had a higher percentage of all or mostly volunteers by community size. For communities of 50,000 to 499,999 population, pumpers and station rates per 1,000 people were quite similar.