The provincial government has repeatedly thanked its water bomber crews, some of whom are lending support to help fight forest fires in Nova Scotia and Quebec in recent weeks—but water bomber pilots worry that government is turning a blind eye to the staffing crunch they’re facing according to NAPE.

The province used to have three pilots per water bomber, with six aircraft in circulation for a total of 18 pilots. That number has been whittled down to just seven pilots with four water bombers in active duty.

NAPE says that’s the lowest staffing levels in the province’s history.

Add to that the fact that Nova Scotia and New Brunswick don’t have any water bombers and rely on the assistance of nearby provinces like Newfoundland and Labrador when disaster strikes.

NAPE President Jerry Earle says three pilots recently left Newfoundland and Labrador for jobs in other jurisdictions.

Earle says while they appreciate the accolades they’ve been getting for the service they provide, water bomber pilots are facing a real staffing crunch with far-reaching impacts.

He’s written the ministers responsible to alert them to the situation. He says while some politicians might say they have enough staff to operate the remaining four waterbombers, “We do not,” Earle asserts. “We have enough pilots today to effectively and efficiently operate on a full-time basis; just three.”