Halifax spent more than $160,000 on the wrong kind of wildfire protective gear for firefighters

By Haley Ryan
CBC News
July 2, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada East

Halifax spent more than $160,000 on the wrong type of wildfire protective gear, and the union for municipal firefighters says the mix-up is just one example that the department is not properly preparing for wildfires. In the aftermath of the Upper Tantallon wildfire in 2023, Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency ordered a second set of wildland firefighting coveralls for most of its members. But about two years later, it was discovered in April that the new coveralls were intended for use in industrial settings where firefighters typically encounter short flashes of fire. They look almost identical to the correct ones but do not meet wildfire standards for working in sustained heat. …Wearing the wrong gear in a wildfire setting presents a greater risk of heat exhaustion, Meagher said. …Although Meagher said … this is why all new equipment orders are supposed to go through their health and safety committee to ensure things aren’t missed.

Read More