Tariff war threatening firefighting service in Canada, says fire chief

Firefighters work in an area affected by wildfires in Jasper, Alta., on July 26, 2024. (Amber Bracken / The Canadian Press)

The head of Canada’s fire chiefs’ association is warning that the tariff war will have a “significant impact” on fire services and make it more challenging to buy critical emergency equipment.

Canadian fire departments are rushing to obtain gear before the 30-day reprieve for U.S. tariffs expires April 2, Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, said in an interview with CTV Your Morning from Quebec City on Wednesday.

Despite the pause in U.S. tariffs against Canadian goods covered in the North American free trade pact, also known as the CUSMA or Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, firefighters fear the levies will hamper their ability to obtain the equipment necessary for the upcoming fire season, McMullen said.

“One month isn’t a whole lot of time when it comes to the procurement of fire and emergency services equipment,” he said, noting large fire trucks take one to four years to purchase.

Replacing aging equipment is a growing problem and retaliatory tariffs could add an extra 25 per cent to essential fire and safety products, such as sprinklers and pumpers, which are mostly sourced from the United States, the fire chiefs said in a press release March 6.

McMullen said about 60 per cent of all fire departments nationwide have already deferred purchasing essential gear and training. What’s more, 20 per cent of the country’s fire departments are using outdated equipment that no longer meets industry standards, he said, citing information collected from fire chiefs on the state of their fire departments.

“We just predict that those numbers are going to continue to increase” he said. “We are literally staring down the barrel of the wildfire season gun. Not a good place to be in. We have to be best prepared for this.”

McMullen said the association has been pushing for the creation of a national fire administration that would work with the federal government to provide critical information on fire safety and response issues.

Watch the video above for the full interview.