County of Brant firefighters responded to more emergencies in 2025 while advancing a long-term plan to strengthen service levels, highlighted by the start of construction on a new North Paris fire station and increased investments in training, public education and emergency preparedness.
The County of Brant Fire Department released its 2025 annual report, outlining a year marked by growth, increasing call volumes and several major initiatives designed to support the municipality’s expanding population.
Emergency responses rose significantly in 2025, with firefighters attending 1,145 incidents compared to 983 the previous year, a 16.5 per cent increase. Public education activities also climbed by more than 31 per cent, increasing from 117 to 154 initiatives.
During discussion at the Administration and Operations Committee meeting, Councillor John Peirce said the report highlighted just how active County firefighters are.
“Fantastic report with a lot of information in there,” said Peirce. “One thing I don’t think people understand is how busy our fire services are.people understand is how busy our fire services are.” County firefighters currently operate from eight stations with a team of 190 volunteer firefighters, while a ninth station serving North Paris is now under construction. The new north end station, located at 21 Ann Wilson Way (beside Sobeys), is expected to be completed in spring 2027. The project represents a key milestone in the County’s Fire Master Plan and aims to improve emergency response capabilities in one of the municipality’s fastest-growing areas.
“This new station marks an important step in improving our service to the northern part of the County and reflects the ongoing progress of our Fire Master Plan,” General Manager of Emergency and Protective Services Cindy Stevenson and Fire Chief Darren Watson wrote in a joint message included in the report.
The report also highlighted continued investments in staffing and training. Sixteen new recruits were hired and trained to National Fire Protection Association firefighter standards during the year. Additional specialized instruction included live fire scenarios, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials response and firefighter survival training.
Councillor David Miller praised the report but questioned whether any trends were emerging that council should be paying closer attention to, specifically referencing concerns around firefighter recruitment and retention.
“I like that annual report. It’s a good snapshot of how we did over the past year,” said Miller. “Do you see any trends we as a county have to get in front of?”
Deputy Fire Chief Brent Cain acknowledged retention challenges among volunteer firefighters, noting that some recruits remain with departments for only a few years before moving on. He said the issue is not unique to the County of Brant.
Cain said he would bring the question back to Fire Chief Darren Watson, who monitors high-level trends, adding that firefighter recruitment and retention challenges are being experienced across the province.
Several stations experienced notable increases in emergency activity. Burford Station saw one of the largest increases, with calls rising 67 per cent from 94 incidents in 2024 to 157 in 2025. Airport Station calls rose 30 per cent while Paris Station recorded an 11 per cent increase.
Peirce also questioned a notable drop in fire inspections, which fell from 756 inspections in 2024 to 422 in 2025.
Cain said the reduction was largely the result of a new reporting system and improved data tracking rather than a decrease in inspection activity.
“The big change there is our new software,” Cain explained. “That’s amalgamated the way we report everything in the fire service. We found a lot of duplications in the past when people were working on different parts of the project at different times and were reported as different events.”
The department also continued efforts to address risks associated with legacy oil and gas wells. Through provincial funding, the County received more than $105,000 along with an additional $141,000 in collaborative funding to support training, equipment purchases and public education. Acquisitions included handheld gas monitoring equipment, portable digital signs and a drone equipped with air monitoring technology.
Public safety and community engagement remained a central focus throughout the year. Through Safe Community Project Zero, the County received 264 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through a partnership with Enbridge Gas Ontario and the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council. Volunteer firefighters also remained active beyond emergency response, organizing food drives, toy collections and community events while continuing programs such as Camp Phoenix, a five-day initiative aimed at introducing young women aged 14 to 18 to careers in fire services.