Calgary Firefighters Association, mayoral hopefuls weigh in on possible city fire commission

The City of Calgary has a police commission, so why doesn’t it also have a fire commission? That’s the question the Calgary Firefighters Association (CFA) is asking.

CFA president Jamie Blayney says a fire commission would cut through red tape, keep residents aware of public safety decisions, and ensure Calgarians’ voices are heard when it comes to how the fire department protects them.

The president says it’s also needed to meet the demands of a city amid a growing population.

“We have to be ready for two million people and right now we’re already a little bit behind and we just need the tools to keep up with that sort of growth,” he said. “It would still allow us to have that public input, have transparency to council, and the chief’s voice would be heard directly to council.”

Mayor Jyoti Gondek says if she’s re-elected, she will make sure a fire commission comes as a directive to city administration.

“The fire chief will report up to the Chief Administrative Officer — I’ve understood that we need to be that clear,” she said. “We can’t keep coming back and saying that we need to do more research.”

Mayoral hopeful Sonya Sharp says there are also things to consider for a fire commission including potentially upscaling the fire department.

“Those conversations need to happen directly with the chief who talks to the members,” she said. “Obviously, we have the fire union. I think there’s more of a broad conversation to be had before you go directly into commission.”

Mayoral candidates Jeromy Farkas and Brian Thiessen have also weighed in, saying they will both support looking into a fire commission if they become Calgary’s next mayor.

“Our firefighters, they respond to over 70,000 calls per year. Everything from structure fires to medical emergencies,” Farkas said. “So, their service deserves the same governance and accountability.”

Thiessen says he supports exploring the possibility of a commission.

“We’re seeing a lot bigger increases on emergency services,” he said. “It’s definitely worth exploring whether our current oversight model for the fire department is still the best fit.”

The City of Calgary tells CityNews in a statement that there are no plans for a fire commission right now, but the fire department’s budget and business plan will be brought forward to the new city council next year.