Deputy fire chief Greg Saunders is much closer to the end of his career than its beginning with the North Bay Fire Service.
Saunders is currently the acting North Bay fire chief while Jason Whiteley is on medical leave to undergo a surgical procedure. So, it was up to Saunders to speak to North Bay City Council during its long budget process this year.
The acting chief gave the ‘state of the service’s’ address to council last Thursday, and fielded questions about the present and future of the North Bay Fire Service.
“They want to know that you are running a fiscally responsible, effective, responsible operation,” says Saunders.
Another discussion at the meeting was a source of pride for Saunders and the fire service.
North Bay has been leading the way when it comes to specific types of training. These trainings are so effective that they have compelled services from much larger cities to come to North Bay and learn from its fire fighters.
“Our team has worked really, really hard and they are respected for their efforts. We are one of the leaders in the province in regard to HAZMAT response. The Ontario Fire Marshall’s (Office) recognizes it and that is why they send their people to North Bay to get trained,” said the acting fire chief.
Saunders has close to 30 years on the job, and during that time, the perception of firefighting and of firefighters has changed.
“I came off the floor (into management) about 11 years ago. When I came off the floor, call volumes were about 1,600 calls a year, now there are about 2,400 calls a year. Back then, there were very few medical responses. In 2026, medical responses are a large part of what we do now,” says Saunders, adding the way the fire department personnel respond to those calls is a source of pride.
“Our people provide a competent, compassionate response, and we are very good at what we do. When you need us, we are there,” says Saunders.
The issue of workplace stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects all first responders. Getting firefighters mental support is now a critical facet of the job.
“When I started, we would go to calls of consequence. Quite frankly, we would not deal with stress (properly) after the call was completed. We would drink. We would do unhealthy things to try to come to terms with what we were dealing with,” he explained.
“We have really progressed in that regard. Our service has been providing a really effective response. For example, we are suggesting healthier choices, providing support to our people.”
He says people are encouraged to come forward with concerns tied to work-related pressures.
“We tell people it’s OK to say that you are not OK. It is OK to ask for help. To say, ‘listen, I’m struggling, can you help me?’” said Saunders.
“Some of the worst calls I remember involved kids. It has been 30 years that I have been doing this job, and I still vividly remember those calls … They still bother me sometimes. What I am happy about is that we are doing at better job helping people who have gone through that.”