Investing in safety: Why Sooke Together supports the 20-firefighter staffing Plan

Sooke Together supports Sooke Fire Rescue. We support the people who keep our community safe, and we support Council's approved five-year staffing plan to reach 20 career suppression firefighters.

Over the past several years, Sooke has transitioned from a volunteer fire department to a fully paid fire department. Today, we have 15 career suppression firefighters - the people who quite literally hold the hose - including the two positions approved in the 2026 budget. They are supported by approximately 17-18 paid-on-call firefighters. The department also includes a Fire Inspector, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Emergency Program Manager and one administrative support.

Why does getting to 20 matter? Firefighter safety rules generally require four firefighters on scene before crews can enter a burning building - two inside and two outside ready to rescue them if something goes wrong. Reaching 20 career suppression firefighters would allow Sooke to staff a four-person engine 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 20 is about keeping our firefighters and our community safe.

And here's something we don't talk about enough: a properly staffed fire department saves residents money. Fire Underwriters Survey rates the level of fire protection in a community, and insurance companies use those ratings when setting premiums. A well-staffed, well-equipped fire department means significantly lower insurance costs for residents and businesses.

So yes, our fire department costs money. But the question isn't just what it costs. It's what we get for that investment, and what it would cost all of us not to have it. Sooke Together supports the staffing plan. Public safety is not where we intend to go backwards.