Fire union calls for more resources

The union is calling on the city to build 12 new stations and hire 500 more firefighters across the island, with the West Island needing six of those stations and 200 of those firefighters, Montreal Firefighters Association president Michel Crevier said in a phone interview.

Crevier said for response times to tighten up and for firefighters to maintain a high level of service in the West Island, the city would have to construct new stations in Pierrefonds, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Pointe Claire, Kirkland and Dollard des Ormeaux.

“They’re not all permanent firefighters out in the West Island, either,” Crevier said. “Right now, there is a lack of firefighters, vehicles and stations. In order to maintain a high level of safety and security, it’s going to be problematic to go on without them.”

Montreal Fire Prevention Service assistant director Michel Viau said the union is guilty of “fear-mongering,” by taking out ads in community newspapers asking citizens to call elected officials and pressure them to cave to the union demands.

“(The union) has completely exaggerated the situation. The union simply wants more firefighters because more firefighters pay more dues to the union. We have 2,300 firefighters working right now and the union wants us to add near 25 per cent of that total? That’s clearly not something the city has the financial wherewithal to support,” he said.

Viau said the Montreal Fire Prevention Service has improved service since it took over management of the island’s fire departments in 2002, and will continue to add service with a new station for western Pierrefonds, three new trucks, and the hiring of 100 more firefighters over the course of the next three to five years.

“We’ll also relocalize some stations and buy some new vehicles,” he added.

According to Viau, simply replacing volunteer fire squads in three former cities with full-time firefighters has improved service.

“We’ve now got full-time firefighters in Baie d’Urfé, Ste. Anne de Bellevue and Roxboro, and we built a new station for Ile Bizard,” he said. “The level of service has already improved dramatically.”쇓