2023 Great Canadian Fire Census Report: Results- Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs

2023 Great Canadian Fire Census: Results

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The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), in partnership with the Answer the Call committee, the Data committee, and the National Advisory Council (NAC), is pleased to announce the results of the 2023 Great Canadian Fire Census. This Census describes the state of the fire and emergency sector, and is the most complete up to date data set known.

For 2023, we expanded the Census to include all departments in Canada, and expanded the questionnaire to include questions on key issues such as firefighter and consumer safety, call volumes, and expenditures on training and equipment. A total of 534 departments across all types (volunteer, composite, and career) submitted data this year. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Read the press release here
Read the written report here

Read about the Census at GR Week 2023

Read the table of statistics

Read related media here

Read the 2022 Census Results here

Read the 2021 Census Results here

Or watch the 2023 Census Results below:

Here is a snapshot of the key findings:

Table 1: Key Findings comparing 2022 to 2023 where data is available for both years

Data Element	2022 Estimates	2023 Estimates
Total number of firefighters	125,991	125,628
Number of volunteer firefighters	89,595 (71%)	88,586 (71%)
Number of career firefighters	36,396 (29%)	37,414 (29%)
Number of vacant positions	14,963 (12%)	14,591 (12%)
Number of women firefighters	13,779 (11%)	14,095 (11%)
Number of firefighters over 50	30,739 (25%)	38,208 (30%)
Number of departments reporting calls due to consumer fireworks	662 (18%)	531 (16%)
Number of departments reporting deaths or injuries in homes that could have been sprinklered	144 (4%)	76 (2%)
Total number of calls	2,021,218	1,959,597
Percentage of calls related to fire suppression	7%	10%
Percentage of calls related to extreme weather events	9.5%	10%
Percentage of medical-related calls	44%	48%
Total expenditures	$5,885,419,607	$5,894,656,358
Number of departments that deferred purchases	1418 (44%)	1740 (54%)
Number of departments that deferred training	775 (24%)	743 (23%)
Number of fire trucks needed	800 (25%)	1381 (43%)

Table 2: Key findings for fire related data information collected for the first time in 2023

Data Element	2023 Estimates
Number of volunteer firefighters who retired in the past year	9485
Years of service those retirements represent	102,219
Number of departments that firefighters pay out of pocket expenses	924 (28%)
Number of departments whose firefighters have experienced violence or harassment during a call	725 (22%)
Number of departments whose call volume exceeded their capacity	385 (12%)
Number of departments that don’t have a washing machine or extractor	678 (21%)
Number of departments with primary turn-out gear older than 10 years	787 (24%)
Number of departments that use SCBA older than 15 years	935 (29%)
Number of departments using pumpers older than 15 years	1998 (62%)
Number of departments using radio Network older than 15 years old	965 (30%)
Number of departments using tankers older than 20 years	1087 (33%)

“We are asking the Federal Government to send a clear a message to this country’s firefighters – and to all Canadians in Budget 2024 - that they will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in ensuring the retention of essential personnel by increasing the volunteer firefighter and search and rescue tax credit. This is a realistic, affordable and necessary step to put Canada first as we approach next wildfire season.”

– Ken McMullen, CAFC President, Chief of Emergency Services, Red Deer, Alberta

“ Establishing a National Fire Administration will be one of the most consequential policy instruments in the history of fire and emergency management in Canada. It will allow Canada to recognize, address and coordinate, on a regular, systematic, and national basis, all fire and emergency management issues.”

– Keri Martens, CAFC Vice President, Deputy Fire Chief, Banff, Alberta

“ The unfortunate clarity of the fire crisis is knowing what needs to be done in service of safety, from installing a national fire administration to increasing the volunteer firefighter tax credit to replacing aging equipment, to implementing Firesmart™ principles, we just have to do it.”

– Keven Lefebvre, Chair of the CAFC Data Committee, Fire Chief Leduc County, Alberta

“ During wildfire season, everyday fire and emergency response needs continue in every community across Canada. If we can’t retain volunteer firefighters, by next summer all provinces and local communities will be forced into choices no one wants to make. Let’s put Canada first and take the steps needed now to show all firefighters that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with them.”

– Greg Jones, Board Member, President Fire Services Association of Nova Scotia, Fire Chief, Amherst, Nova Scotia

“ FireSmart^TM works, but it’s not free. Resources are required to help communities get the work done. When we do this work, we increase resilience of communities in the face of wildfire. This is an affordable and practical solution that we hope to see in Budget 2024. ”

– Trevor Brice, CAFC Board Member, Fire Chief, Okotoks, Alberta

“ Fire sector equipment isn’t cheap, but the longer it deteriorates, the more difficult it is to replace. The former Joint Emergency Preparedness Program, cost shared with the provinces, is a mechanism to help keep the gap in check. Leadership is required to align all levels of government in addressing an issue that is as urgent as affordable housing and climate adaptation.”

– Paul Boissonneault, Co-Chair CAFC Leadereship Committee, Fire Chief, Oakville, Ontario

“ The Fire Sector has a proud history of innovative self-sufficiency, from recruiting volunteer firefighters to community risk reduction, to pancake breakfasts for equipment purchases. However, with the unprecedented fires we have seen, federal leadership will be required to align all levels of government towards a common goal, let’s start by increasing the volunteer firefighter tax credit.”

– Vince MacKenzie, Chair of the Answer the Call Committee, Fire Chief, Grand Falls Windsor, Newfoundland

“Fire Chiefs from across this country, including each of the povincial, territorial and national affiliate fire related organization making up a national advisory council, believe in public policy that is anchored in good data and practical realities, the results of the 3rd annual fire census provides policy makers with the evidence it needs to make important investments in the fire sector as soon as possible.”

– Peter Krich, Chair of the CAFC National Advisory Council, Fire Chief, Camrose, Alberta

Recommendations

What can be done to address this situation? We present the data so that we can encourage evidence informed policy and programs. Over the next week, Fire Chiefs will again be on the Hill for their annual advocacy days and will make recommendations in four key areas:

Increase the volunteer firefighter tax credit from $3K to $10K to help retain volunteer firefighters
Reinstate the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program to help replenish the supply of equipment from fire trucks to radio communications.
Fund FireSmart™, critical infrastructure assessments and resilience plans in all communities to maximize resilience during wildfire season
Establish a National Fire Administration to better coordinate, advise, lead and support the complexity of fire situation in Canada, just as comparator countries have done in response to such crises.

Related Media - Chronologically from December 4th to December 20th

December 4, 2023