Halifax Fire will deploy new AI technology for early fire detection and four brush trucks to help extinguish HRM wildfires.
Halifax Fire Chief Ken Stuebing presented the department’s 2024-25 budget to the regional council budget committee on Friday.
The department is requesting $92.12 million for next fiscal year, nearly $8 million more than the 2023-24 budget of $84,223,600.
Stuebing said Halifax Fire’s goals for the coming year include building a 24-hour service at the Middle Musquodoboit fire station, adding more firefighters to Tantallon, funding urban search and rescue, and increasing the Halifax Port’s risk mitigation efforts. He said that includes partnerships with the Bureau; His collaboration with EHS in healthcare delivery.
Another plan for next year is to roll out the second phase of the Wildland Urban Interface Strategy.
Atlantic Canada’s first AI technology for early detection
As reported by the Examiner in August 2023, councilors Pam Loveless and Way Mason tabled a motion in council that includes requesting a report on a greenfield urban interface preparedness strategy in Halifax. did.
Phase 1 of this strategy was included in the 2023-24 budget. This phase included educating firefighters about property risk assessment, public education, and neighborhood cooperation.
On Friday, Stuebing provided some details about the next steps in that work. This includes four new wildfire brush trucks, the first mobile suppression unit for Atlantic Canada, and a wildfire sprinkler trailer.
Stuebing said the Halifax Fire Department is working on a reduction strategy to “get an early start and get our crews on the scene” hours before a fire, as well as piloting new early detection technology powered by AI.・He stated that he would also partner with the Department of Renewable Energy (DNRR). than a normal service call.
“This allows us to extinguish the fire while it is small and possibly prevent it from spreading,” Stuebing said.
“This initiative is a first for Canada and will be a first for the Atlantic coast of North America.”
“The items we are considering have been proven elsewhere.”
But budgets and business plans don’t include many details about those projects. There is a small section on strategies within the budget:
Recognizing the increased risk of wildland fires due to climate change and to help local governments build resilience to climate change, HRFE has updated and will continue to implement the Wildland City Interface Strategy. Lessons from the 2023 bushfire season, particularly the Upper Tantallon fire, will be incorporated into this strategy.
county. Patty Cuttell asked for more information about the next steps in the Wilderness Strategy.
“We should be talking about this because it’s a big concern in areas like District 11, where Prospect Road and Sambro Loop are,” Cattel said.
Deputy Chief Roy Hollett told council that the strategy includes mitigation measures and collaboration with the DNRR to reduce and prevent the severity of wildfires, wildfire training programs, and appropriate equipment to fight these fires. He said that it was divided into securing.
Hollett said this will require working with other fire departments in Canada and the United States to learn what wildfire programs are in place.
“The items we’re considering have been proven elsewhere, and we’re now trying to bring them here,” Hollett said.
“We have a plan and we are working on it.”
Stuebing said the Halifax Fire Department does not have jurisdiction over wildfires. That becomes DNRR. Stuebing said that poses a problem for Halifax Fire, which runs a wildfire program.
“But the problem is that we are there [at the fires] First of all,” said Stubing. “And we will be there until the end.”
“We need to build partnerships with the government agencies that have jurisdiction. We have been working closely with the DNRR to strengthen our collaboration and work on joint initiatives to improve our ability to respond to those incidents. Ta.”
Stuebing said efforts are underway to develop a wildfire policy and find funding for wildfire mitigation and training in Nova Scotia.
“We have a plan and we are working on it. But Rome wasn’t built overnight,” Stuebing said.
“It will take time. These complex issues need to be addressed in partnership.”
Congress approved all initiatives in the budget presented Friday. This budget is subject to approval of the entire HRM budget.
