Charlottetown would be ‘better served’ with 4 firefighters at 1st response, says union [Video]

The union that represents career firefighters on P.E.I. wants more personnel to be first on scene of a fire call. Right now, the requirement is to have four respond, but Charlottetown’s department operates under different rules. CBC’s Sheehan Desjardins has more.

The union that represents professional firefighters in P.E.I.’s capital city is joining a campaign that calls for a minimum of four people per truck to initially respond in emergency situations.

Under the current guidelines, if there are less than four personnel who are first at the scene, firefighters have to wait for volunteers to arrive before they can enter a building.

James Pickard, president of the Charlottetown Professional Firefighters Association, said four is the safest number for a first response.

“Currently in Charlottetown, we have three firefighters on that apparatus,” he said.

“When we get on scene right now we’re expected to wait there for a volunteer to come, …