Firefighter-paramedics call for more support

The Brandon Professional Firefighter Paramedic Association has called for additional funding and staffing support from both the City of Brandon and the Province of Manitoba.

The demand for service has grown significantly over the past decade, but staffing levels have not kept pace, association president Gage Wood told the Sun on Sunday.

“In 2015, Brandon Fire & Emergency Services answered 5,464 calls with 10 firefighter-paramedics on duty. In 2025, we’re on pace to exceed 9,400 calls — over a 72 per cent increase — but we still have times where we only have 10 staff working,” Wood said. “That’s 4,000 more emergencies every year with the same staffing.”

He explained Brandon’s dual-response model means firefighter-paramedics provide both fire protection and emergency medical services, adding that commitments to Shared Health — including daily non-emergent patient transfers to Winnipeg — can leave the city with only two ambulances and reduced fire coverage.

“We are proud to serve Brandon and Westman, but we need all parties to step up to ensure that we can remain a pillar of public safety and stability,” he said.

The association emphasized that the appeal is not meant as an attack on either the city or the province, but as a call for co-ordinated action.

“The City of Brandon has grown exponentially in the last 20 years, and to have the same number of firefighters available that were in place in 2010 is not meeting the needs of Brandon in 2025,” Wood said. “We need more provincial funding for EMS, but also more municipal investment in firefighting capacity.”

Wood added that while provincial initiatives such as new patient transport services and expanded use of air transfers have provided some relief, staffing shortages and rising medical calls continue to strain the system.

“If you’re living in a house in Brookwood paying thousands in property taxes, you expect more than four to six people to show up if your house is on fire,” he said.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett acknowledged the concerns but highlighted recent efforts by both the city and the province.

“Between the City of Brandon and the province, we’ve added 20 positions to the department in the last three years, and an ambulance,” Fawcett told the Sun. “We hired seven new people on Monday. Unfortunately, we lost four to Winnipeg, and we still need more staff — but that is a situation across the country right now.”

Fawcett stressed that recruitment remains a challenge in many sectors. “Neither the province nor the city can just create people. The funding is there, the positions are there, but we need qualified people to fill them,” he said, noting that additional interviews are underway.

The mayor also underscored the ongoing partnership with the province. “We’ve worked in good faith to secure more resources, and we’ll continue those conversations. Any additional funding would be welcome, but funding without people doesn’t do us much good,” he said. “If anything, I’d encourage people to consider firefighting or paramedicine as a career. We need more people in these roles.”

Chief Terry Parlow did not respond to the Sun’s calls and text messages.

This is an developing story, and Fawcett said he will provide more details later in the week.

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