• Politics

Victoria fire chief disputes union data in historic election campaign

Victoria's fire chief is publicly challenging figures used by the city's firefighters union in its first-ever foray into municipal politics, saying some of the data could mislead voters just over two weeks before the Oct. 17 election.

The Victoria Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 730, announced on 11 September that for the first time in its 168-year history it would register as a third-party advertiser with Elections BC and endorse municipal candidates ⁴. "We've never once gotten involved in politics at this level, so this is a first for us, and it's not something that's going to be a one time thing," union president Josh Montgomery said at the time ⁴.

The campaign is built around six priorities, including requiring two means of egress in new multi-storey buildings, boosting high-rise firefighting resources, giving firefighters a voice in traffic and street design, protecting first responders from violence, increasing mental health supports, and matching emergency resources to growth around the Inner Harbour and Vic West ³.

On 24 September, the union announced it was endorsing seven candidates: incumbent councillors Stephen Hammond and Marg Gardiner, and newcomers Melissa Cseszko, Arthur McInnis, Karen Rothe, Jason Heit and Wendy Bowkett ². It chose not to endorse anyone for mayor. "We're not endorsing a candidate for mayor," Montgomery said. "Our endorsements are focused on where we believe we can have the greatest impact on our six issues" ².

But on 30 September, Fire Chief Dan Atkinson told CTV News he wanted to correct what he called "myths or rumours" arising from the campaign. "I really want to make sure that people just have the correct information and that we're dispelling any myths or rumors that may have occurred, probably unintentionally, as a result of these six priority actions," Atkinson said ¹. He said he has heard from roughly 20 residents wondering if the city is safe since the union went public with its priorities, and insisted "Victoria today, from a fire rescue and a safety perspective, is safer than it's ever been" ¹.

Traffic, high-rises and overdose figures disputed

The union wants future council members to commit to a formal consultative role for firefighters in road redesign projects, arguing that narrowed streets put response times at risk. Atkinson said traffic design accounts for less than 10 per cent of the department's "over-goal calls" — those where response times exceed the target ¹ — while turnout time, the time it takes crews to get dressed and leave the station, accounts for roughly 60 per cent of such calls ¹. He said a deputy chief already meets regularly with the city's engineering and traffic department ¹.

On high-rise firefighting, the union is asking candidates to commit to a plan for increased staffing. "Residents who live in high-rises need the same level of service, and we need the resources to provide that," the union says on its website ¹. Atkinson said the department is never short-staffed and its numbers continue to rise, and pointed to a dedicated high-rise operations training program created in 2018 with industry partners, plus mutual aid agreements with neighbouring departments if more personnel are needed ¹.

The sharpest dispute is over overdose statistics the union cited to argue for more proactive mental health support, saying the department responded to 2,381 overdose and poisoning calls in 2024 ¹. Atkinson said that figure is wrong, and that the actual 2024 total was 1,390 calls ¹, in what he called the department's busiest year on record for all call types ¹. After the department changed how it handles certain repetitive medical calls, he said overdose responses have fallen to roughly 475 so far in 2026, calling it "a dramatic reduction as a direct result of making sure we want to take care of the mental health of our first responders" ¹.

Josh Montgomery was not available for an interview when CTV News sought comment on Atkinson's claims ¹.

"The credibility of the endorsement"

Dan Reeve, a political science instructor at Camosun College, said voters often rely on endorsing organizations to do their homework, which makes accuracy important. "If we're really at odds in terms of the data and the information provided, then the credibility of the endorsement might be a little bit tainted by that," Reeve said ¹. He added that inflated figures distort the picture for voters even though the underlying concern is legitimate. "If the numbers are wrong, or in this case, possibly inflated or wildly overinflated, it just creates an incorrect picture of what's actually happening," Reeve said, adding "No one is doubting that having to deal with overdose cases is difficult emotionally, physically, psychologically. That's not in question" ¹.

Four incumbent council candidates endorsed instead by the Victoria Labour Council — Matt Dell, Jeremy Caradonna, Krista Loughton and Dave Thompson — responded to the union's endorsement announcement with their own statement, saying they had supported the hiring of 16 new fire staff this term ², and backed "a reduction in the call load of the Department for low-acuity overdose calls, which supports work-life balance and reduces burnout" ².

Royal Roads University political communications professor David Black said the union's entry into municipal politics is significant given its front-line role in issues like homelessness and addiction. "I think people will take notice that union has formally entered the conversation," Black said ⁴, adding the move could become "a new normal" for civic politics in Victoria, following precedents such as the Vancouver Police union's endorsement of Ken Sim in 2022.

Victoria's municipal election is set for Saturday, 17 October.