Economic SPC signs off on double-digit staff increase for Fire/EMS

By Lethbridge Herald on November 16, 2022.

Herald file photo by Ry Clarke Lethbridge firefighters work at the scene of a house fire earlier this month.

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge city council acting in its capacity as the Economic Standing Policy Committee unanimously voted to move along the budget process a resolution calling for the hiring of a total of 13 employees for Fire and EMS services.

On Wednesday, City treasurer Darrel Matthews told the SPC the new staff hirings will be contingent on a new contract being signed with Alberta Health Services.

An initiative presented in the draft budget said the staff are needed due to “EMS crews reduced availability to provide fire/rescue services.”

The plan calls for the hiring of four staff in the fall of 2023, four in spring of 2024 and five in 2025.

The total cost of the initiative over four years will be $2,424,011.

Annually, that amounts to $261,237 in 2023, $1,204,574 in 2024, $2,082,865 in 2025 and $2,424,011.

The initiative states that the first arriving apparatus on scene of a single family structure fire should be within 10 minutes 90 per cent of the time. A crew of between 12-14 firefighters should be assembled for a such a fire.

According to current service level performance in 2021, the first arriving to such a single family dwelling fire was nine minutes and 45 seconds with a unit of three firefighters on the apparatus. The second apparatus arrived at 11 minutes, 27 seconds with three more firefighters.

Final decisions on motions approved in the deliberation will be made by council when it formally drafts the final budget for 2023-’26. The base minimum annual property tax increase residents could see is 3.77 per cent annually.

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