A request to provide funding for two flex firefighters was turned down West Kelowna council at its Aug. 27 meeting.
Fire Chief Jason Brolund requested the positions to help reduce firefighter overtime costs. While there is a budget for overtime, it is often exceeded he added.
含羞草研究社淥ver last three years, the ongoing need for overtime has resulted in between $500,000 and $700,000 (per year) in un-budgeted costs.含羞草研究社�
Brolund noted some of the cost is covered by surpluses in other areas. The department is contractually obligated to maintain eight on duty firefighters 24/7. There are 40 members to shifts and two flex firefighters that help cover overtime.
含羞草研究社淭he implementation of flexible firefighters含羞草研究社as resulted in a decrease in the number of overtime shifts that we used to maintain that contractual obligation,含羞草研究社� Brolund said.
He added a lot is asked of the city's firefighters and sometimes the answer is no when it comes to overtime.
含羞草研究社淭hey deserve to have time with their families, to go on vacation. So there are times when we have to decrease our minimum staffing because we can含羞草研究社檛 find anyone to work the overtime.含羞草研究社�
Brolund told council the additional flex firefighters would cost the city $240,000 per year, a one-time training and onboarding cost of $41,500, and $35,000 per year in administration support. The prorated cost for 2024 would be $133,500.
He called it an early 2025 budget request, and said it would reduce un-budgeted overtime to between $200,000 and $400,000 per year.
含羞草研究社淭he sooner we start on that process the sooner we can bring these firefighters on and begin to realize those savings.含羞草研究社�
The request amounts to a 0.6 per cent tax increase for the 2025 budget.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 supportive,含羞草研究社� Councillor Rick de Jong said. 含羞草研究社淏ut every half a per cent matters, every quarter per cent matters. I can含羞草研究社檛 in good conscience already commit to a budget ask for 2025 when I have no idea what the rest of that budget looks like.含羞草研究社�
He suggested council look at the request during early budget deliberations in the fall.
Coun. Garrett Millsap supported Chief Brolund.
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e looking at $300,000 to $500,000 a year in overtime that we can start to mitigate right now and start saving money.含羞草研究社�
Mayor Gord Milson was also in favour of approving the request immediately.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 the right thing to do for our firefighters, their families and our community,含羞草研究社� he added.
Milsom and Millsap supported funding additional flex positions, however, the motion was defeated by the rest of council.
