![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b619e4c36d25a9eb11b724ffd478d2fc.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nCalgary city councillors\u2019 felt the heat Friday, conducting a series of training drills under the watchful eye of the local firefighters\u2019 union.<\/p>\n
Hosted at the Calgary Fire Department\u2019s training academy near Elliston Park, Fire Ops 101 intended to give local lawmakers a taste of what the average day can be like for a Calgary firefighter.<\/p>\n
Nine councillors participated, including Kim Tyers, Jennifer Wyness, Andrew Yule, DJ Kelly, John Pantazopoulos, Nathaniel Schmidt, Myke Atkinson, Harrison Clark and Mike Jamieson.<\/p>\n
Decked out in full firefighting gear, they were put through a series of mock scenarios, including extinguishing a structure fire, a water rescue, an emergency medical response and a vehicle extrication using the Jaws of Life.<\/p>\n
One of the calls came midway through the day\u2019s planned lunch break, highlighting that the alarm can sound at any time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really driven home the point that the Calgary Fire Department is delivering important front-line services,\u201d said Clark.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve gone into burning buildings, we\u2019ve cut the roofs off cars, we\u2019ve scoured lakes for individuals \u2014 it\u2019s been quite the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Councillor DJ Kelly at the Calgary Firefighters Association hosted \u201cFire Ops 101\u201d.<\/p>\n
Jamie Blayney, president of the Calgary Firefighters Association, which puts on the exercise, said the purpose was to expose elected officials to the variety of scenarios firefighters can face in any given shift.<\/p>\n
Last year, the fire department responded to more than 92,000 calls, about half of which were medical emergencies. Calls have grown by 50 per cent overall since 2020, and Calgary fire crews are now responding to roughly 250 calls per day, on average.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can go and talk to councillors about what our days look like, but having them here to experience it with us is what really helps the conversation,\u201d Blayney said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to get them in our boots, in our gear, on the trucks, and just demonstrate one little bit about what a typical day is.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Fire Ops 101 comes six months before council deliberates Calgary\u2019s next four-year budget in November, which will determine the city\u2019s fiscal spending plan from 2027 to 2030.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis gives us a really good hands-on experience, so that when we sit down around the horseshoe at budget time, we know exactly what it is that our various departments are looking for,\u201d said Kelly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat it is that our firefighters go through every single day is really quite amazing, and they deserve our support and admiration. Not just lip service, but giving them the resources that they need in order to be able to get the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Calgary Fire Department\u2019s operating budget is $363 million this year, accounting for about eight per cent of the city\u2019s operating expenses. The department\u2019s capital budget is $57 million.<\/p>\n
While city council has approved budget increases for fire services in recent years \u2014 including a $21-million increase this year compared to 2024 \u2014 budget hikes haven\u2019t always kept pace with the city\u2019s growth<\/a>, Blayney said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re a city racing toward two million people and, to be honest, we\u2019re already behind,\u201d he said. \u201cSo this next budget cycle is going to be integral for us to not only catch up, but to prepare for the future as we go over that two-million mark.\u201d<\/p>\n Firefighting has become more complex in the past decade, according to Blayney, who noted that fires burn hotter and faster, with structure fires doubling in size in as little as 30 seconds.<\/p>\n And the rapid growth of new neighbourhoods on the city\u2019s outskirts means that more fire halls are needed for crews to respond to those communities as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cSeconds count, so the quicker we\u2019re on scene \u2014 whether it\u2019s a fire or a lake emergency or a car accident \u2014 we\u2019ve got to get there with the tools required to do our job,\u201d Blayney said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what\u2019s going to be asked of this council in the next four years, to make sure we\u2019re up to date with industry standards.\u201d<\/p>\n Council set to discuss proposed fire services committee<\/p>\n The training drills also come before council prepares to consider creating a new committee that would be dedicated to discussing fire-related issues.<\/p>\n