North Bay Fire Chief Grant Love, centre, delivers a presentation to City Council with his two deputy chiefs on Monday night, where he proposed reducing minimum staffing levels, reducing platoon size and taking increased training measures. PHOTO BY LIAM BERTI
In an attempt to save just over $250,000 in the 2015 budget, Fire Chief Grant Love presented some cost-cutting recommendations to City Council on Monday night.
Topping the list is reducing platoon size, minimizing overtime, extending call response time and increasing their training efforts.
First, in what they call a shift to a dynamic staffing model, the Fire Department would adjust platoon size based on the number and type of calls they are responding to.
They currently operate with four platoons: two with 19 dedicated staff and two with 18.
But the new proposal calls for all platoon staffing levels to be at 18, which would be achieved through attrition.
Just three years ago, the Service had 20 firefighters per platoon, with the overall staffing level having decreased by seven since 2013.
Additionally, overtime positions would only be called in when a platoon’s staffing level reaches a minimum of 13 firefighters, down from the current 16. The minimum staffing level of 16, Love said, contributes significantly to overtime costs.
With the overtime amendment in place, the Fire Deparment would be operating at a 19 per cent staffing level decrease.
“What we do is very dangerouss and what is being proposed is a 19 per cent reduction in personnel on the ground; that’s a big reduction,” said Deputy Chief Greg Saunders. “We want to make sure the implementation is done as safely as possible and that’s going to take some time.
“I would prefer it not be this way, but I understand the necessity of it,” he added.
Their report also states that when taking North Bay's unique circumstances into consideration, a reasonable response time for the city's needs is seven minutes.
A noticeably concerned Mayor Al McDonald questioned Love on walking the fine line between continuing to excel at their service and managing the risk that comes with budget restrtictions.
Love and the deputy chiefs said they are confident they can transition effectively and safely, while constantly managing and assessing risk.
But there was never any doubt in the mind of Mark King, Chairman of the Community Services Committee.
“These firefighters know what they are doing; they are experienced people,” he put simply. “The Chief and his two deputies would not come forward with a recommendation like that to the council and the public, nor would they place the firefighters in danger; that’s just not going to happen.”
Council questioned the fourth and final consideration though, which asks for the approval to reallocate a portion of their existing funding for a fire prevention and training officer.
The preliminary recommendation is to hire within and potentially adjust one of the positions from the 19-member platoons to the training position.
Love said the slight majority of his team haven’t experierced enough large-scale fires to get adequate first-hand experience, which is a good thing in some regards.
Their data showed that fire call responses have dropped by 63 per cent since 2004, when they received 160 calls, compared to the 59 calls received in 2014.
But knowing the theory is one thing, he said; applying the practical knowledge in the heat of the moment is another.
“The fact is, because we don’t have the fires that we used to have, a lot of the staff know the theoretical knowledge and know how to do it, but they’ve never done it in the heat of the battle, let's say” he explained.
He cited the fire at Lefebvre’s Source for Adventure two years ago and the Main Street fire last week as eye-opening calls that presented some interesting challenges.
“Things are a lot different on the fire ground than they are on the training ground,” Love explained.
“If we don’t continue on with a susbstantial amount of training and put a lot of emphasis on that, we could see ourselves in the position where all we would have is just theoretical knowledge, which doesn’t work as well.”
But Coun. Mac Bain asked for a specific job description and mandate before voting on a plan, while the man to his left at the council table, George Maroosis, said he thinks the increased training responsibility should fall on platoon chiefs and captains.
Love said another major concern is the fact that 18 of the employees are elibigle to retire within the next five years, which represents the majority of senior staff leaving in a short time frame.
Because of this, enhanced training becomes even more important, he argued.
In the end, the Community Services Committee moved the first three items forward, while the funding transfer for training will be conditional upon a report from Chief Love.
The city's operating budget, which continues to work its way towards a final council vote next Monday, also assumes an increase of $7,000 from increased burning permit revenue from the Fire Department.
The recommendations are expected to be voted on at next Monday’s regular meeting of council.
