Funding to improve Calgary firefighter response not expected until 2025, document reveals
Global News
Preliminary budget figures obtained by Global News show the Calgary Fire Department's ask for money to improve response times in the next four-year budget may largely go unfunded.
Calgary firefighters are disappointed in the city’s outlook of the fire department’s funding in its upcoming four-year budget, Global News has learned.
The new information comes after fire Chief Steve Dongworth addressed city councillors earlier this summer with several funding options to help bolster firefighting resources and response times.
The total cost of the funding options came to $52 million in operating funds and $51 million in capital funds with the addition of 315 firefighters over the next four years.
Preliminary budget figures obtained by Global News indicate the fire department’s request for that money in the upcoming four-year budget may largely go unfunded.
The figures show the capital funding request — to cover things like two new fire stations and new aerial units — is recommended to be delayed until the following four-year budget cycle.
However, the figures show that the fire department could receive $16.2 million of their operating funding request split between 2025 and 2026.
Calgary Firefighters Association president Codey McIntyre said he is concerned about the potential impact to the fire department and its response times.
“We’re at our breaking point,” McIntyre told Global News. “We’ve seen this city grow bigger and bigger with eight new communities approved by city council, but your Calgary Fire Department budget keeps getting smaller and smaller.”
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