(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Alessia Proietti

Day 2

BUDGET: Red Deer Protective Services talk overtime costs and photo radar losses

Jan 24, 2024 | 8:21 PM

Red Deer’s Protective Services Division are focusing on reducing their overtime costs and photo radar revenues losses this budget.

During day two of the 2024 budget deliberations, administration reiterated the $1.2 million in revenue losses from the termination of the Alberta Health Services Dispatch contract as well as $1.27 million for RCMP member contract adjustments.

While dispatching services were returned in Wood Buffalo, no news has been given for Red Deer.

From resident taxes, 16 per cent are allocated towards fire and ambulance services and 22 per cent are for policing services.

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While $1.2 million was already approved in the original budget for overtime costs throughout the entire Emergency Services (ES) department, administration requested an additional $350,000 due to the delayed timing of additional hires.

Manager of Emergency Services Ken McMullen says in 2019, the budget for overtime was $601,000 but the actual amount required came in just over $2 million. He added overtime costs were $3 million in 2022, mainly due to extended shifts in ambulatory care, but were $575,000 lower in 2023.

During to 2023-24 budget deliberations in December 2022, council approved the addition of 14 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees for the ES department, after no new staff had been hired since 2015. McMullen argued that the hirings were necessary for the mental health of staff who were taking long leaves of absences due to burnout.

READ: Red Deer city council pushes for 14 staff increases in Emergency Services

He says the city hasn’t been able to see the full benefits of the new employees reflected in overtime costs as finding staff was an issue in the competitive provincial market and new hires are fully trained both as firefighters and paramedics, taking more time.

McMullen anticipates that the new hires will cover roughly 400 overtime hours, totalling $500,000 in cost reductions.

While he says the industry is facing a decrease in interest, he says the contemplation of Red Deer Polytechnic reimplementing their Paramedic Program would be a valuable one for the community.

PHOTO RADAR

Due to new regulations in 2023 by the Alberta government focusing on safety rather than revenue, all photo radar trucks must have signage, like the “Drive Safe” stickers, and be placed only in high-risk areas like school zones.

READ: Alberta government changing photo radar rules

Bart Rowland, Municipal Policing Services Manager, said revenues have gone down significantly, from $1.3 million in 2018 to $416,000 in 2023. He says the City is actually losing money as it costs over $800,000 to operate the photo radar trucks, which have an employee sitting inside them at all times.

He added some cities are considering removing them completely and it is a council decision.

Currently conducting a review on their use, he believes it would be more valuable to have municipal police officers in their place to look out for other violations, like distracted driving, with the potential to also penalize with demerits points.

Council will continue budget deliberations until Friday.

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