(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Ian Gustafson

firefighters union in support

City of Red Deer announces change in approach to dynamic staffing

Dec 15, 2025 | 2:20 PM

The City of Red Deer has announced a change in approach to its dynamic staffing policy.

They announced on Monday that they will reduce overtime costs in Red Deer Emergency Services as part of the 2026 budget, which was approved by city council last week.

Council approved $2.8 million for overtime, and the city said it’ll align its staffing approach to this allocation of funds.

In 2024, Red Deer Emergency Services had approximately $3.2 million in overtime costs and in 2025, council reduced the amount in the budget.

As a result, beginning today, the dynamic staffing policy will be paused until 75 per cent of the overtime budget has been used, and once that happens, dynamic staffing will be reintroduced as needed to make sure the department remains within its approved funding allocation.

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“Dynamic staffing is one of the tools available to help manage Emergency Services within its budget,” said acting Fire Chief Curtis Schaefer in a media release. “This adjustment is about exploring another way of balancing financial realities with staff scheduling. I also want to clarify that dynamic staffing was not introduced for the first time in 2025; it has been used previously when operationally required.”

It’s important to note that the dynamic staffing policy has not been discontinued and that it remains an option for emergency services to use when needed.

The city says until 75 per cent of the $2.8 million is achieved, overtime will be employed first before using dynamic staffing.

“We will continue to work closely with the union and with our staff to ensure our operational approaches evolve with the needs of our community, our workforce, and the emergency response environment,” said Schaefer. “As the city grows and changes, our service will grow and change with it. The City makes operational decisions every day to protect public safety, including how apparatus are staffed, how resources are deployed, and how personnel are managed based on availability, call volumes, and financial considerations.”

As of November 30, dynamic staffing was implemented 117 times, and overtime shifts went down by 88 per cent to 215 shifts. That resulted in $1 million in savings.

This comes after 2024, when dynamic staffing was used 84 times, and there were 1,920 overtime shifts.

“Even with this adjusted approach in 2026, our focus remains on staying within the approved overtime budget,” Schaefer added. “What is changing is how and when dynamic staffing may be used. Dynamic staffing is a practice we use when there are just-in-time absences or when staff are unexpectedly unavailable for overtime. We must always be able to adjust and be flexible, both when people are not available to work and when our budget no longer enables us to call additional staff in. This is a normal part of running a 24/7 emergency service.”

Despite these adjustments, the city explained that service levels will remain unchanged and emergency services will continue to target four firefighters on each engine, as well as respond to all structure fires with 17 members.

“In most departments, staffing adjustments like this are a routine part of day-to-day operations, balancing the need to meet service levels and budgets,” said City Manager Tara Lodewyk. “Under typical circumstances, we wouldn’t highlight this publicly. Given the level of interest in Emergency Services staffing, we believe it’s important to explain what we’re doing and why. We are open to trying different approaches, monitoring how they work, and adjusting if needed, always with a focus on what’s best for our community and our staff.”

In 2025, the fire department made up approximately 17 per cent of the city’s total budget and remains a significant investment in the operating budget.

A full Red Deer Emergency Services operational review will be completed as outlined in the 2026 operating budget. It’s usually done every five to seven years and was last conducted in 2017.

The review will examine service levels, staffing models, and operational practices to inform future decisions.

In January of this year, Red Deer Emergency Services implemented dynamic staffing, which was approved by council as a cost-saving measure in the operational budget. It’s aimed to reduce overtime hours with the goal to support and promote staff health and wellness and to reduce costs while maintaining core emergency services.

IAFF Local 1190 response

President of the IAFF Local 1190, Brad Readman, said in an interview with rdnewsNOW that they applaud council’s decision.

“It’s a step forward to ensuring safe staffing for the community, and we are grateful for that. We are looking forward to collaboratively working with the city to ensure that safe staffing continues,” Readman said.

“I feel that our staffing is in a place now where we’re fully staffed at 194 for our five stations and the EMS services we provide. We’re confident that the overtime moving forward isn’t going to be an issue. It’s a massive step in the right direction.”