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More firefighters endorsed by Langley City council

Proposal could add as many as nine additional full-timers by 2026
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Langley City Council has unanimously endorsed a call for more firefighters. (Langley Advance Times)

Langley City Council has unanimously endorsed a call to hire more fighters that could see an additional nine added by 2026.

Councillor Mike Solyom made the proposal at the Monday, Jan. 16 meeting of council, saying the current Langley Fire Rescue service hasn’t kept up with population growth and must prepare for the arrival of SkyTrain.

“Langley City’s one of the busiest fire halls in Metro Vancouver, responding to over 3,800 calls for service in 2022,” Solyom told council.

That, Solyom advised, was far more than similar-sized communities such as White Rock, with 1,800 calls, and Port Moody with 1,700 calls annually.

“With SkyTrain coming, our population and calls for emergency service will continue to grow,” Solyom said.

Langley City currently has 23 full-time members budgeted, who handle 121 calls per member annually, Solyom estimated, roughly triple the workload of Port Moody’s 40 full time firefighters, who deal with roughly 42 calls per member annually.

“This level of workload has been shown to increase the likelihood of burnout, and mental health challenges,” Solyom warned.

He wanted staff to include at least two more full-time suppression firefighters in the 2023 budget, at least three in the 2024 budget, two in the 2025 budget, and two in the 2026 budget.

At current staffing levels, the fire department rescue truck is only operational Tuesdays to Fridays, during the day, Solyom reported.

Councillor Mike Solyom won unanimous support for a proposal to increase the number of full-time Langley City firefighters at the Monday, Jan. 16 meeting of council. (file)
Councillor Mike Solyom won unanimous support for a proposal to increase the number of full-time Langley City firefighters at the Monday, Jan. 16 meeting of council. (file)

“This presents a risk to the people of Langley City if larger incidents or multiple calls happen the other 75 per cent of the time.”

Two of the councillors who voted for the Solyom proposal were initially concerned the City was making a long-range commitment.

Leith White, who said he was “extremely supportive of increasing the resources in this vital area,” suggested it might be “premature” to commit to a four-year strategy, while Delaney Mack wondered if it “might impede the budget process.”

Solyam replied that the City had fallen far behind and is “playing catch-up,” and the deficit in firefighter staffing “is costing a great deal of overtime.”

Coun. Teri James described the service as “sorely understaffed” and the proposed solution on the table was “not a motion to approve it now.”

Coun. Paul Albrecht said “it just sets the table,” by acknowledging the service was “woefully understaffed.”

Albrecht said the City relies on part-time, paid on-call firefighters, “and we’re seeing those numbers decline and become problematic.”

“This department has to grow, needs to grow,” Albrecht remarked, describing the resolution as “a good first step”

Rosemary Wallace called the motion “important.”

Mayor Nathan Pachal also backed the resolution, saying “with years of deferrals, I think the time is right to consider this.”

Dan Gray, president of Langley City Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 3253, said the proposed hiring would amount to a 40 per cent increase.

“This is an extremely positive step from City council in making both public safety and firefighter safety a priority,” Gray commented.

READ ALSO: New firefighter hiring boosted from 40 to 44 in Langley Township

Langley Township Council recently voted to add 11 firefighters a year over the next four years

Township firefighters have been pushing for staff increases since last year, when their union warned council there are often not enough members at work in the full-time fire halls to respond with four firefighters per truck, considered the minimum safe number to begin attacking a fire.

READ ALSO: Fire guts almost-finished home in South Aldergrove


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Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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