(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Alessia Proietti

More than original budget

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

Dec 2, 2022 | 1:17 PM

Red Deer Emergency Services (RDES) may be getting 14 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees within the next two years.

On the fourth day of the 2023-24 Capital and Operating budget deliberations, city council discussed six different options to amend a budget item regarding RDES staffing, who have not seen an increase since 2016.

Initially proposed by Councillors Dianne Wyntjes, Cindy Jefferies and Vesna Higham, all except Councillor Kraymer Barnstable, chose an option that would hire six FTEs as fire-medics and one FTE in dispatch, each in 2023 and 2024, funded through ongoing funds. This would add up to $912,660 or a 0.65 per cent tax increase per year. As well, a one-time cost of $76,654 would be required each year, funded by the Operating Reserve Tax Supported (ORTS), to cover things like training, equipment, and uniforms.

An FTE is a measure of hours rather than a measure of people. According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, one FTE in Emergency Services equates to 2,080 hours of work.

The original recommendation by administration in the budget was:

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• 2023:
  • Four FTEs through ongoing funds
  • Four FTEs funded one time through the ORTS
• 2024:
  • Two new FTE’s through ongoing funds
  • Four FTE’s funded one time through the ORTS, assuming it is the same four FTEs from 2023

However, the City’s Fire Chief Ken McMullen wanted 20 FTEs in 2023, all funded through ongoing funds as one-time funding would require the department to request for the staff again the following year, reducing their security. McMullen said the staffing was needed to bring service levels back to minimum standards as most workers were burning out through overtime, impacting their mental health.

READ: Red Deer Emergency Services requests more staff than budgeted

Mayor Ken Johnston proposed this option, discussed first by council on Thursday as it had the most financial implications, costing the City $2,683,910 with an additional tax increase of 1.92 per cent to residents.

However, the mayor explained that RDES, spending roughly $2.1 million in overtime, was willing to use $800,000 to hire six fire-medics to factor in the reduction in overtime costs that would be saved if the 20 FTEs were hired. Alongside the initial four ongoing FTEs recommended by council, the 11 remaining would need funding, costing $1.4 million, and increasing the municipal tax rate by just one per cent. The mayor then said if 0.5 per cent was removed from another contribution, that would only increase the tax rate by 0.5 per cent.

Councillor Victor Doerksen questioned why more overtime couldn’t be used for hiring instead. The Fire Chief responded that the overtime funds were also used for many other positions such as dispatching. He also said some days require overtime, for example, in a fire inspection or at a time-consuming scene.

Mayor Johnston said the FTEs were not needed to improve service level but simply to stabilize back to normal. He also expressed that he has had a personal traumatic experience requiring the fire department in the past.

“I have benefitted from the fire department back in 2003 and so I know what it’s like as a citizen to have a fully staffed fire engine to come to my home,” he said, adding it was a $250,000 fire on Christmas. “I’m happy, obviously, that we are addressing those gaps and we do have additional supports so that was a success.”

Councillor Jefferies said in tears, “Can you imagine the things you see, hear, feel, taste and touch at a job when you’re responding to an accident or a fire, whatever it might be? I understand only two per cent of us will experience that in our lifetime. Thankfully, there are those who will. So I think their mental health is a little different than most. If you’ve ever called 911, and I have, you’ll want somebody to answer the phone and you’ll want someone to come in an ambulance because you need it so I want us to put as many people in those positions as we possibly can.”

Other councillors, however, brought up different perspectives and felt other options were better suited.

Councillor Lawrence Lee wanted to see what Alberta Health Services would offer as contract negotiations are coming up in March 2023 where they will be funding for an undetermined amount of fire-medics and ambulances.

Councillor Barnstable wanted to ensure tax rates were the lowest possible for residents. Councillor Bruce Buruma, however, said he felt the community would understand the increase.

Although not fully what the Fire Chief requested, McMullen said he understood the department is just one component of the City’s expenses and is optimistic about the decision to increase staffing more than the original recommendation.

“We will see a reduction in overtime, there’s no doubt about that. My argument all along has not simply been about the dollars. It’s been about the mental health and the overall impact of the staff and we’re going to see an improvement in that so for that I’m eternally grateful,” he said.

Factoring in the original proposal by administration, the new municipal tax increase on residents would be 5.12 per cent in 2023 and 4.71 in 2024.

Council will continue deliberations on Friday as they said they would like to bring the tax rate increase back down to the original 4.79 and 4.38 per cent for 2023 and 2024, respectively.