Halifax Fire trying to 'manipulate' council, says Coun. Brad Johns

The councillor for Upper Sackville says he's lost faith in the management of Halifax's fire department because of the latest proposal for three fire stations.

Council decided last spring to keep the Lady Hammond Road station, the King Street station and the Patton Road station open despite recommendations by fire officials to shut them down.

A new report heading to council, however, suggests the Patton Road station in Upper Sackville be turned into a volunteer-only service.

"It's wrong," Brad Johns, the councillor for District 14, said in an interview. "I have very little faith and very little faith in the chiefgiven that I feel they are trying to manipulate council."

The chief of Halifax Fire and Emergency isDoug Trussler

Johns points out the fire department also wants to move another Sackville fire station to the Bedford area. If that happens, the area could go from having 12 career firefightersto four.

'Not an ideal situation'

Fire officials also suggest theLady Hammond Road and King Street stations only have career firefighters on day shift from Monday to Friday. Evenings, weekends and holidays would be covered by volunteers.

The councillor for Peninsula North has a lot of questions about the proposal.

"It would seem to me that fires in the urban core are more complicated,"said Jennifer Watts. "Would we get the volunteers in the urban core?"

Fire officials say the changes would allow the department to add another 10 firefighters to the service and properly staff its two aerial trucks.

The firefighters union disputes the numbers, saying firefighters will be moved around but staffing won't really change.

"It's not an ideal situation," said Jim Gates, president of Halifax Local 268, Professional Firefighters. "The city administration is putting the bottom line ahead of public safety."

Halifax council will debate the new report on Tuesday.