PERIOD REPORT
DATE: September 28, 2026 Report No. FIRE-26-006
TO: Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Matt Furlot, Fire Chief
SUBJECT:TITLE Fire Department & Emergency Management Program – 2026 Second Period ReportBody
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Fire Department and the Emergency Management Program from May 1, 2026 to August 31, 2026.
FIRE DEPARTMENT DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
OPERATIONS
During this reporting period, Esquimalt Fire Rescue Services continued to respond to a wide range of emergency incidents while maintaining operational readiness through training, equipment upgrades, and staffing development. Call volumes remain consistent with projected trends. The data for this period, along with comparisons to the last period and the same period last year, is summarized below:
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Life Safety Inspections and re-inspections are not keeping pace with demand. Despite completing 142 inspections and 51 re-inspections this period, current staffing capacity is insufficient to provide timely, risk-based compliance monitoring across more than 700 inspectable premises in the Township of Esquimalt. As a result, the department continues to fall short of its statutory responsibilities under the Fire Safety Act.
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COMMUNITY SERVICES
Esquimalt Fire Rescue Services continued to support community safety through inspections, public education, and community engagement. Business licence inspections were prioritized and completed as capacity allowed, with administrative support helping to maintain timely service. Occupancy inspections and associated fire safety plan reviews also continued as new developments came online.
Community engagement and public education activities included:
Hall tours
Child car seat inspections
McHappy Day, with crews serving guests
Wakey Wakey annual event kickoff
Buccaneer Days Luncheon, with crews serving volunteers
Coffee with a First Responder, in partnership with Victoria Polic...
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