Firefighters had busy year
Responding to ice storm was highlight of 681 calls
Trent Hills Fire Department responded to 681 calls in 2025, its busiest year in more than a decade.
The department’s annual report to council shows a 12.5 per cent increase over 2024 and the highest number since 2012 when it had 784 calls. Back then there were 356 ambulance assist calls. Last year there were 269, down 16 per cent from 319 in 2024.
Councillor Rick English said he hoped these numbers would be publicized so residents could be aware of how busy the department is and why it needs so much equipment.
The busiest month was last March when the ice storm caused so many problems, including 28 calls about hydro poles or trees down. The ice continued into April and there were 11 calls that month. There were only nine similar calls in the rest of the year.
In total there were 98 calls in March and the next busiest month was August with 84.
The department responded to 58 vehicle collisions, the same as in 2024. There were 69 false or automatic alarms, up from 47.
Fire Chief Shawn Jamieson said the department warns businesses or residents that have repeat false alarms and can charge for unnecessary calls.
There were 34 calls for reports of carbon monoxide, or propane or gas leaks, up from 18 the previous year.
“Most of those calls were during the ice storm due to people using generators in breezeways or too close to their homes,” Jamieson told council.
“In 2025 the Trent Hills Fire Department’s emergency management capabilities were significantly tested through a series of complex and prolonged events, beginning with a major ice storm and followed closely by localized flooding in several areas of the municipality,” the report says.
“These back-to-back incidents required sustained operational response, co-ordination with multiple municipal departments and external agencies, and the rapid adaptation of resources as conditions evolved.”
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