Winnipeg’s mayor wants an amendment to the Criminal Code to help protect firefighters and paramedics from assaults while working. Mayor Scott Gillingham introduced a motion during Tuesday’s executive policy committee meeting that was unanimously endorsed, calling for the federal government to give paramedics and firefighters the same personal safety protection that peace officers have and increase penalties for aggravated assaults against first responders. “Paramedics and firefighters run toward danger every day to protect and save lives. They deserve to know that their country’s laws will protect them in return,” Gillingham said in a statement. During a news conference, Gillingham said if a peace officer is assaulted, it’s treated different in the court, and he would like to see firefighters and paramedics treated the same way. He said similar legislation was working its way through Parliament before the federal election was called during the spring, and hasn’t yet been reintroduced. “We’ve got to protect our firefighters and paramedics in the same way we protect our police officers,” Gillingham said. According to the city, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service reported 58 incidents so far in 2025 where paramedics and firefighters have been physically assaulted or threatened while responding to emergencies, including one incident this summer where a firefighter was hit with a metal pole while extinguishing a fire. “Fifty-eight this year is already too many,” Gillingham said. The motion was unanimously supported by the committee during Tuesday’s meeting. If the measure is approved by city council, it will be sent to the prime minister, federal and provincial justice ministers and local members of Parliament.
