Strengthening fire safety and services in Nova Scotia
The vision is that every Nova Scotian has access to reliable, evidence-based fire services, no matter where they live and every firefighter has the training and equipment needed to stay safe while serving their communities.
Why modernization is needed
Nova Scotia's fire services are complex and include more than 280 organizations operating under different laws and administrative systems. This complexity makes coordination difficult.
Recent reviews identified the need for:
- clearer roles and responsibilities
- better coordination across services
- more consistent training and certification
Firefighters are also responding to more complex emergencies, including those related to climate change.
To keep Nova Scotians and firefighters safe, the province is modernizing how fire services are trained, managed and delivered.
In 2025, the province launched a multi-year effort to:
- strengthen governance
- improve training and safety
- ensure services are consistent and sustainable across the province
New legislation: creating a home for fire safety and services in government
Introduced on 23 February 2026, the Support for Fire Protection Services Act creates a coordinated provincial framework for fire safety and services.
It supports a phased, sustainable approach to modernization and reflects recommendations from the Fire Services Association of Nova Scotia (FSANS), including:
- better support for volunteers
- enhanced access to training
- improved fire dispatch standards
- expanded mental health resources
What the Act does
The Act gives the Minister of Emergency Management authority to oversee fire safety and fire protection services and set provincewide standards for:
- fire services
- firefighter training and certification
- personal protective equipment
- support for departments transitioning to a municipal model
- planning, reporting, and delivering fire protection services
Nova Scotia Fire Commissioner
The Act establishes the Office of the Fire Commissioner as a central authority within government.
Role and responsibilities
The Office will provide provincial oversight, coordination and support in three key areas:
- investigations and compliance (building on the existing Office of the Fire Marshal)
- training and certification
- legislation, policy and municipal relations
The Office will also:
- ensure consistent training standards
- oversee standards for personal protective equipment
- support departments interested in transitioning to a municipal model
- coordinate group purchasing for vehicles, equipment and insurance to help reduce costs
Regional and interim training: what's happening now
Nova Scotia is updating firefighter training to improve safety, consistency and readiness for both volunteer and career firefighters.
Interim regional training
While long-term improvements are underway, interim regional training plans are in place to maintain safe, accessible entry-level training.
These plans are guided by the Firefighter Training Advisory Committee (FTAC).
Provincial support
The Department of Emergency Management is supporting regional training by:
- building regional capacity through grants to support local delivery of Level 1 firefighter training
- increasing access to training equipment, including:
- two mobile burn units
- four propane fueled training props
- reducing travel costs for municipalities and fire service providers
New first responder and emergency management training facility
The Office of the Fire Commissioner will lead the design, implementation and management of this new facility.
It will serve as a hub within a broader pan-Canadian training network.
The network will:
- build a nationally connected emergency management workforce
- improve interoperability across provinces and territories
- support real-world, experiential learning
- strengthen surge-readiness
- promote consistent emergency management standards across Canada
Facility features include:
- state-of-the-art live fire training facility
- burn building
- mobile burn units
- technical fire suppression spaces
Building capacity for change: what's next
Over the next three years, the province will:
- establish and launch the Office of the Fire Commissioner
- expand provincewide training and strengthen regional capacity
- lead development of the new training facility designed with collaboration and interoperability in mind
- develop new standards and regulations with municipalities, fire service providers and experts
- improve tools, systems and training supports
- support municipalities exploring a new fire service delivery model
- advance recommendations from the Fire Services Association of Nova Scotia