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"We had a Toronto firefighter bitten by a patient,鈥� Kelly said in an interview last month. 鈥淚n Winnipeg, we鈥檝e seen a severe rise; we鈥檝e had 58 reported incidents in Winnipeg this year alone.鈥�

好色tvreached out to several firefighters unions across the country, as well as municipalities, to see if they kept their own statistics on reports of violence.聽

Several declined to respond, and others said they did not have those statistics available.聽

Kelly says violent incidents can range from verbal abuse to physical attacks, and consequences can be deadly. 聽

鈥淚n Idaho, an individual lit a fire, drew in the fire department, and then shot firefighters, killing two of them and severely injuring another. We had a paramedic in Kansas City stabbed in the back of an ambulance and died,鈥� Kelly said.聽

The IAFF says the frequency of these violent incidents is increasing, something that Jeremy Quillian, the president of the Moncton Firefighters Association, agrees with.聽

Quillian says the unhoused population in Moncton has grown larger in recent years, and several people have found shelter in wooded areas around the city.聽

鈥淪ometimes we鈥檙e going into the woods for a bonfire complaint or a sighting of smoke, and we鈥檒l startle them. They can get verbally aggressive with us. And when we鈥檙e out on these calls we do notice that they have weapons to protect themselves,鈥� Quillian says.聽

Quillian says violent incidents are common during medical calls as well, especially in overdose situations. 鈥淲hen we wake the patient up they can be verbally or physically aggressive towards us.鈥澛�

Although the Moncton Firefighters Association doesn鈥檛 keep specific statistics on reports by members, Quillian said in an email that there has been an increase in violent incidents while on calls or even at the fire stations. 鈥淥ur members have reported incidents of their vehicles being vandalized while at work, reports of verbal altercations while on calls as well as physical assaults while on calls.鈥�

A firefighter for over 16 years, Quillian says he sits down new recruits and squad members to let them know that the job has changed over the years. He says he tells new firefighters that they may have questions about certain calls, and that there are peer supports available to talk through anything they encounter on the job.聽

For Kelly, the first step in making the environment safer comes from the federal government. In November, Kelly travelled from the IAFF head office in Washington, D.C., to Ottawa, to speak with officials about strengthening the legislation around assaulting first responders.聽

Kelly advocated for changes that have been included in two pieces of legislation: the Liberal government鈥檚 bail sentencing and reform act, and a Senate Opposition bill. Both propose amendments to the Criminal Code to offer firefighters similar protections as police officers and transit workers.聽

The senate bill was introduced in September but has not yet been debated in the House of Commons.

The government鈥檚 bail reform bill, introduced by Justice Minister Sean Fraser in October, has passed its second reading and is now being studied by a House committee.

In an email, a representative from the Department of Justice says 鈥渢he Government of Canada recognizes the importance of protecting emergency personnel from acts of violence; everyone deserves to work in an environment that is free from abuse.鈥�

Kelly says the IAFF would like to see both pieces of legislation adopted.

鈥淔irst and foremost, what we want to do is draw a line in the sand,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淚f you assault firefighters and paramedics in Canada, there are going to be stiff penalties.鈥�

This report by 好色tvwas first published Dec. 21, 2025.