Halifax spent more than $160,000 on the wrong kind of wildfire protective gear for firefighters

Haley Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 02, 2025 7:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 3

Halifax spent much than $160,000 connected the incorrect benignant of wildfire protective gear, and the national for municipal firefighters says the mix-up is conscionable 1 illustration that the section is not decently preparing for wildfires.

In the aftermath of the Upper Tantallon wildfire successful 2023 that destroyed 151 homes, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency ordered a 2nd acceptable of wildland firefighting coveralls for astir of its members. 

But astir 2 years later, it was discovered successful April that the caller coveralls were intended for usage successful concern settings wherever firefighters typically brushwood abbreviated flashes of fire. They look astir identical to the close ones but bash not conscionable wildfire standards for moving successful sustained heat.

"There could beryllium atrocious consequences from this gear. So we've been fortunate that the incorrect happening hasn't happened truthful far," said Brendan Meagher, president of the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters Association, past Friday.

Wearing the incorrect cogwheel successful a wildfire mounting presents a greater hazard of vigor exhaustion, Meagher said.

There is often small turnaround clip betwixt shifts during a large wildfire, helium said, and having a 2nd acceptable of coveralls is simply a bully thought because it enables members to power to a 2nd brace portion their other set is being washed.

Due to the "scale of the request" successful 2023, the occurrence department's regular vendor was not capable to grip the bid wrong the acceptable timeline, a Halifax spokesperson said, and they recovered an alternate vendor.

The municipality spent astir $167,000 connected the coveralls and rolled them retired to firefighters.

After the mistake was noticed and flagged arsenic a information ailment for Halifax Fire management, Meagher said it took weeks for the section to react. In mid-June, the municipality directed firefighters not to deterioration the 2023 coveralls, helium said, and anyone near without immoderate wildland cogwheel would beryllium issued caller ones.

Municipal spokesperson Jake Fulton said successful an email that Halifax Fire is looking for a way to marque definite the 2023 coveralls "do not spell to waste," similar perchance sending them to different departments that whitethorn person a usage for them.

"This was an unfortunate mistake that HRFE is moving diligently to address. HRFE takes the usage of municipal taxation funds precise seriously," Fulton said.

But now, Meagher said, they person noticed immoderate of the older, due wildfire coveralls person besides reached an expiration date. He said he's acrophobic a concern could travel up wherever lone 1 idiosyncratic connected a unit has the appropriate gear.

"Does that idiosyncratic spell to the woods by themself and instrumentality instrumentality in? I would suggest perfectly not," Meagher said.

"And truthful we are near with that dilemma of going successful and violating the directive — or watching nonaccomplishment increase that we could different halt if we had the due equipment."

Fulton said astir 94 per cent of the 1,100 full Halifax Fire members inactive person 1 acceptable of wildland firefighting coveralls that conscionable "all applicable information requirements."

This leaves astir 70 members, oregon six per cent, without immoderate due wildland coveralls. Fulton said it volition outgo astir $50,000 to outfit those members with the due gear.

Any members without compliant coveralls tin inactive enactment wildfire effect efforts successful different roles, similar h2o proviso oregon logistical support, Fulton said.

"This directive ensures firefighter information remains the apical precedence portion maintaining operational capacity. With the immense bulk of members afloat equipped for wildland occurrence response, HRFE is assured it tin proceed to deploy harmless and effectual crews to respond to wildland fires arsenic needed," he said.

Fulton besides said municipal firefighters would beryllium supported successful these cases by the provincial Department of Natural Resources, who are "primarily responsible" for wildland firefighting wrong the Halifax region.

Although Meagher said it seems similar the bid for the incorrect coveralls was an "honest mistake," helium said this is wherefore each caller instrumentality orders are expected to spell done their wellness and information committee to guarantee things aren't missed.

Meagher said helium has not been told erstwhile replacement coveralls volition get but these orders tin often instrumentality much than 2 months.

A reappraisal of the Upper Tantallon occurrence suggested 56 ways Halifax Fire could amended successful akin situations. Meagher said he's had "numerous" firefighters interest that lessons person not been learned.

He said caller sprinkler trucks person yet to beryllium brought into service and sat connected clasp for weeks aft conveyance inspections had been done.

Also, though a fewer members received circumstantial training in December 2024 for firefighting successful the wildland-urban interface country — wherever woods and homes conscionable — to yet thatch to each members, Meagher said they person not rolled retired that hands-on grooming yet. He said this would see practising with instrumentality astir communities.

During the wildfire connected the Eastern Shore on Ostrea Lake Road past week, Meagher said helium was acrophobic nary firefighters were called successful connected overtime, adjacent though more than 100 homes were evacuated.

"Every subordinate of this occurrence work connected the crushed is going to amusement up and bash the very, precise champion they tin for the communities. But we privation our managers to marque the committedness that the firefighters are making, and beryllium amended astatine organizing and preparing," Meagher said.

He said portion the national prefers to grip astir issues internally, helium does not judge that occurrence Chief Ken Stuebing has presented the afloat representation to Halifax determination councillors.

"We consciousness similar helium hits the high-level items successful connection with council, and they are not getting an consciousness of the vexation that the firefighters are feeling," Meagher said.

Fulton said the sprinkler trailers volition beryllium brought into usage erstwhile Halifax Fire members person received the due training, which indispensable be scheduled without compromising firefighting sum astir Halifax.

The section "continues to hole to combat wildfires," Fulton said. While it's an "evolving challenge," each Halifax firefighters person archetypal wildfire grooming erstwhile they participate work and get refresher training, helium said.