Mission Fire Rescue Service is moving towards 24-hour fire suppression coverage.
Mission council recently approved the immediate hiring of four new full-time firefighters.
Mission Fire Rescue will begin the hiring process for the positions immediately. The new hires will allow the department to provide improved response times for the community.
“We currently only have 12-hour-a-day career firefighter coverage from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” explained Mission fire chief Dale Unrau.
“Outside those hours it is strictly paid on-call coverage.”
The addition of four new members will bring the total of full-time firefighters to 12. That allows three full-time firefighter to man Hall #1, 24 hours a day.
In the past, response times were hampered as on-call firefighters first had to arrive at the hall from their homes, get dressed and then go to the fire.
“Having people at the hall 24 hours a day, they can respond immediately. It’s an improvement in service,” said Unrau.
The decision to hire four additional firefighters stems from a commitment to continue to improve service to the community, as negotiated with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) as part of the 2014-2019 collective agreement.