A full-time fire crew for Iqaluit?

In light of the recent loss of Joamie School, I think it is time for the city to take a hard look at the current state of affairs.

In the past year, three commercial and residential buildings have burned to the ground in addition to the school. This is a considerable loss and, thankfully, there has been no loss of human lives.

The current volunteers are to be commended for their efforts. However, Iqaluit is the capital city of Nunavut and has grown dramatically over the past four years. Our volunteer fire department may be insufficient to meet the demands a city places on firefighting and rescue units.

I feel it is necessary to take a serious look at setting up a full-time, fully qualified, fully trained firefighting crew. This is not to diminish the work done by volunteers, but let’s be realistic. A volunteer crew does not have the same experience and skills a full-time firefighter possesses.

The city may not have the budget for this, but I think it should be seriously considered before innocent lives are lost. How much is a human life worth? Let’s not wait to find out.

Therese Rodrigue
Iqaluit