Huntsville Fire Department facing growing and staffing pressures

The fire chief warned of longer response times, the need for a new fire hall and transitioning to a full time department

The Huntsville Fire Department announced they’re facing growing staffing and service pressures, in the July 29, 2026, General Committee meeting.

They indicated the department is facing increasing demands on both full-time and volunteer firefighters as emergency calls become more frequent and complex.

During the meeting, the department provided an update on recent successes and ongoing challenges across its prevention, training and operations divisions.

They summarized that staffing pressures, community growth, infrastructure requirements and financial sustainability remain key challenges moving forward.

Among the most significant concerns is developing a sustainable staffing model. The department reported increased demands on its workforce, with volunteer burnout identified as a challenge.

Huntsville's continued residential growth, tourism activity and increasing traffic volumes are also placing additional pressure on emergency response resources.

Operational challenges include volunteer workload and increasing costs for equipment, apparatus and facilities.

Average response time has also increased considerably over the past decade. In 2016, the average response time was 12 minutes and 21 seconds, compared with 18 minutes and four seconds in 2026. The department recorded 354 responses so far in 2026 and told Committee they expect to have 600 by year end.

Training demands are also increasing, including additional requirements for low-frequency, high-risk emergencies such as hazardous materials incidents and rescues.

The department is now supporting twice the number of monthly station training sessions, while also facing increased administrative work associated with training and certification.

The Prevention Division reported increasing inspection demand resulting from development, new occupancies and requests for Fire Code guidance. Emerging risks include lithium-ion batteries, growth in the wildland-urban interface and aging building stock. Increasing requests for Fire Department participation at community events are also stretching available resources.

They also mentioned that insurance companies are adding to their workload because they’re making alarms mandatory in homes over a certain price, resulting in increased calls to the fire department. They said they’re currently in discussions with insurance companies about why they’re forcing people to install alarms and refusing to insure homes without them.

Despite the challenges, the department highlighted several successes, including improved water rescue capabilities, enhanced response to motor vehicle collisions along the Highway 11 corridor and successful fire prevention initiatives.

They have also secured provincial grant funding and successfully navigated the transition between Huntsville and Lake of Bays while maintaining operations.

Committee members discussed the need for ongoing discussions about items like looking for new property for the department and a potential third site, crew burnout and attracting new volunteers, educating the public about pulling over for first responders with flashing green lights, and using the Master Plan as a guide.

The department advised Committee the current Master Plan from 2021 is outdated, includes Lake of Bays, and they need one for Huntsville alone. They recommended they create a new one in-house with the department, staff, and Council members to save the cost of $96,000 to hire a third party to do it.

They said, “We have enough talent in this town to do our own Master Plan.”

They also advised that moving forward the reality is growth in department employees. They said, “We have to consider Huntsville will be full-time at some point… We have to start preparing.”