Are We Ready?
Calgary is growing fast. Your Calgary Firefighters are responding to more emergencies than ever before.There are currently over 1,600 professional Calgary Firefighters working 24/7 to protect more than 1.6 million people. In 2024, we responded to nearly 90,000 emergencies — that’s around 250 calls per day. Since 2020, our overall call volume has increased by nearly 50%. That includes almost 45,000 critical medical interventions — half of our total calls — where every second matters.
Calgary is Canada’s fastest-growing city.
In the past year, Calgary has grown by the equivalent of Red Deer’s entire population. But while our population keeps climbing across a city that keeps expanding outward and upward, your Calgary Firefighters are stretched thin. Since 2021, only one new fire hall has been added — and no new Ladder or Tower trucks, which are essential for responding to high-rise fires and rescues.
In 2024, your Calgary Firefighters responded to nearly 90,000 emergencies. That’s almost 250 calls per day, a 50% increase since 2020 – and the calls keep coming.
Calgary is projected to be 2 million people in less than 10 years. We need to plan and prepare now.
The City has hired new firefighters — but not enough.
Despite the rapid growth, Calgary has added only about 85 new firefighters per year — and that number barely offsets retirements. In total, we now have roughly 1,650 active firefighters protecting a population of over 1.6 million. For comparison, Red Deer has five fire halls and 200 firefighters serving just over 100,000 people. If we stay on the current path, Calgary will reach a population of 2 million by 2032 — and we won’t have the people or infrastructure in place to respond safely and effectively.What does a fire department for 2 million people look like?
Montreal, with a population of around 2 million, operates 67 fire halls and employs nearly 2,400 firefighters. Calgary, by comparison, has 1,650 firefighters and just 43 halls. To keep pace, your Calgary Firefighters must grow — in numbers, in infrastructure, and in support.The current ratio of firefighters to citizens in Calgary is 1:942. At this rate, we’ll need at least 2,400 firefighters by 2032 just to maintain today’s service levels — and that’s assuming our call volume doesn’t rise faster, which it likely will.
43 Fire Halls. Same as before.
Today, Calgary still operates just 43 fire halls — the same number we had when the city’s population was significantly smaller. Based on current growth, we should already have at least 50 fire halls to serve existing communities. Looking ahead, Calgary will need at least 67 fire halls by the time we reach 2 million residents. Without new stations, it becomes harder for your Calgary Firefighters to reach emergencies in time — especially in new suburbs and high-density areas.
1.68 million Calgarians. Just 43 fire halls. We needed 50 yesterday. We’ll need 67 tomorrow.
The fire department is not meeting its response time goals for fire and fire-related incidents, wildland fires, critical medical interventions, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescues.
Seconds Matter. Slower response times put lives at risk.
Your Calgary Firefighters are committed to responding as fast as possible. But with more distance to cover, more traffic, and too few resources, response times are slipping. Right now, the Calgary Fire Department is not meeting its own response targets for fire incidents, wildland fires, hazardous material emergencies, technical rescues, and critical medical interventions. When minutes matter, delays can cost lives — and that’s something we can’t accept.We need to be ready — together.
Planning for a city of 2 million means investing in fire protection today. That includes hiring more firefighters, building more fire halls, and expanding our fleet of apparatus like engines, towers, and ladders. It also means making training and mental health support a priority for your Calgary Firefighters — so we can protect this city safely and sustainably for years to come.This isn’t just about growth. It’s about making sure help arrives when Calgarians need it most.
This is about more than growth. It’s about safety.
Your Calgary Firefighters are proud to serve this city, but we need the tools and support to keep doing it safely, effectively, and with care. Whether it’s fire, medical, rescue, hazmat, or prevention, we are committed to protecting every corner of Calgary.To keep doing that, we must ask: Are we ready?
Images courtesy of Chad Eklund, @emergencyyc