Winnipeg’s firefighters’ union is pleading for reinforcements, warning low staffing levels and soaring overtime have triggered a five-alarm fire inside the emergency service.
Winnipeg’s 933 firefighters responded to nearly 154,000 fire and medical calls last year, making them among the busiest fire crews in Canada. Those included 200 vacant structure fires, the rate of which has increased 245 per cent since 2018 (58), according to union data.
