June 13, 1886. A city just weeks old was nearly wiped from the map. Two land-clearing fires merged into a single unstoppable front, driven by a Pacific gale, and tore through Vancouver in hours. Thousands were left homeless. At least 21 people lost their lives.
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The Vancouver Volunteer Hose Company, the precursor to what would become VFRS, was barely two weeks old when the city burned.
As the fire raged, members of the Squamish Nation paddled across the inlet by canoe to pull survivors from the water.
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June 13 is Men's Mental Health Awareness Day. For our members, this one hits close to home. Firefighters face things most people never will, and for a long time, the expectation was to absorb it and move on. That's changing, and it needs to keep changing.
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Recruit Class 26-02 has graduated. After seven weeks of intensive recruit training, these men and women now begin their year as probationary firefighters with @VanFireRescue stepping into the halls, onto the rigs, and into a community that's counting on them.
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The training is behind you, but the learning never stops. The next twelve months will test everything you've built, push you to grow, and shape the firefighters you'll be for the rest of your careers.
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On behalf of Local 18, welcome. You're joining a membership that has your back, a profession worth showing up for every shift, and an org built on the principle that when our members are supported, the whole community benefits. We're proud to have you here.
#Vancouver
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This Indigenous History Month, we're featuring the voices of our Indigenous members. Today that's Joseph Currie, Cree and Blackfoot, Montana Band First Nation, Maskwacis, three months in the hall and already clear on why he's here.
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For Joseph, that mirrored the values of ceremony he grew up with.
@fnessbc helped him get there, providing the mentorship and accountability he needed to earn his credentials and land the job.
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Katrina Davison is a Vancouver firefighter and the President of our union. In this episode of In Solidarity Katrina talks about her time at Hall 14, a single-piece hall on the edge of the city where you're first in and often working alone before backup arrives.
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She reflects on the variety of calls that still manages to surprise even seasoned firefighters, and she's candid about the hardest part of the job: keeping the weight of the work from following you home.
Also: Thai noodle salad. Preferably at 2 a.m.
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In 2025, Vancouver firefighters responded to 1,435 incendiary fires, a 49% increase from the year before.
An incendiary fire isn't an accident. It's deliberately set with the intent to cause damage and destruction.
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And behind every one of those calls are members running toward something someone else started on purpose.
This trend is serious. It puts citizens, property, and first responders at greater risk.
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As a union, we're committed to advocating for the resources, training, and support our members need to meet a threat like this head on.
If you see something suspicious, report it to police.
#Vancouver#FireFighters#FireService#FirstResponders#YVR
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On May 28, 1886, the Vancouver Volunteer Hose Company No. 1 answered its first call to protect this city. 140 years later, through every shift, every emergency, and every evolution of this city, that commitment hasn't wavered.
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