'Rural firefighters are trained to the industry's highest standards and provide an effective response to emergency services or residents,' said the report from Ottawa Fire Services
Tim Rath grew up almost across from the fire station in Kinburn, a village on the western edge of Ottawa. When he saw volunteer firefighters working at the station, he wanted to be one, too.
“We would see them going over the trucks. They were at every public event. I’ve always wanted to be part of it,” says Rath.
Now in his sixth year as a volunteer firefighter, Rath, 26, estimates he’s called to one or two incidents a week, ranging from house fires, which are rare at his station, to assisting paramedics at car crashes and putting out grass fires burning out of control. That’s in addition to two hours weekly of station duties.
As municipalities across Canada grapple with recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters, Ottawa Fire Services is recommending that the city convert 473 rural volunteer firefighters to “casual” city employees.
If approved, the change will cost the city about $500,000 per year, according to a recommendation to be presented to the city’s emergency preparedness and protective services committee on Thursday.
Volunteer firefighters represent 40 per cent of Ottawa Fire Services’ resources and cover 80 per cent of the city’s landmass in 16 rural and four composite stations (there are both volunteer and career firefighters at composite stations), said the report. But those firefighters are considered “volunteers” and not city employees, and reclassifying them would acknowledge the dangerous work they do and reduce financial liabilities for the city.
Employee status long-sought by rural firefighters
Reclassifying these firefighters could also improve retention and provide labour relations stability. The report notes that rural firefighters and the Rural Fire Advisory Committee have sought employee status similar to other casual employees for a long time.
Volunteer firefighters are paid between $18.93 an hour for a probationary firefighter and $29.59 for a captain in Ottawa. On average, they work about 10 hours per week. Converting them to casual city employees would give them vacation pay, access to a pension plan, CPP and EI while maintaining their volunteer firefighter status.
Last year, volunteers applied to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to unionize, the city’s report notes. The application was denied, but the board found that the firefighters could be considered employees under the Labour Relations Act. If nothing is done, “it is anticipated there will be continued discontent amongst rural firefighters,” warned the report.
“The current instability in labour relations could result in fracturing of the Ottawa Fire Services’ rural operations and create inconsistency in practices amongst stations. The longer-term consequences could impact service delivery.”
The role of a volunteer firefighter
Rural firefighters are deployed to fires and other emergencies including power outages, floods, tornadoes and other weather-related incidents. They extricate car crash victims and conduct water and ice rescues.
Volunteer firefighter applicants must have a Class G driver’s licence, and undergo a security check and an interview. Rural and urban recruits must pass the same physical testing as part of the qualifications, which includes tests of forcible entry, pulling a hose, carrying equipment, climbing stairs and “rescuing” a 165-pound mannequin, among other challenges.
Rural volunteer firefighters provide a vital service to residents in Ottawa and represent the city with professionalism and integrity, said Ottawa fire Chief Paul Hutt. It’s a selfless act of giving back to the community and giving crucial assistance in emergencies.
“Volunteer firefighters receive nominal compensation for their exceptional service,” he said.
As it stands, Ottawa Fire Services has a full roster of volunteer firefighters. A spring recruitment campaign is usually held every year.
Many municipalities across the country have seen a decline in recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters, said Hutt. Among the reasons are tough economic times, family commitments, training and certification requirements, an increase in the calls for service, retirement and people moving.
Volunteer firefighters are comparable to City of Ottawa employees in many ways. They wear a uniform that is indistinguishable from career firefighters. There are annual performance reviews. Volunteer firefighters are subject to all City of Ottawa policies, including discipline.
The Rural Fire Advisory Committee met with Ottawa Fire Services in 2019 to discuss the concerns of rural firefighters, who wanted to maintain their volunteer status under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act so they qualified for concurrent employment exemption. About 105 city employees are also volunteer firefighters.
Mark MacDonald, executive director of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, also notes that recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters is a problem for fire departments across the country — and says there has been a notable decline in the past three years.
Retention is particularly important because of the cost of training and equipping a firefighter. Some municipalities have introduced incentives such as health care spending accounts.
In Ontario, the cost of the wages and benefits for one career firefighter is equivalent to the cost of 10 to 20 volunteer firefighters, said MacDonald. The need for volunteer firefighters is not going away, particularly in rural areas where there are low call volumes.
Not every volunteer firefighter can respond to every call, so a rural station needs about three times as many volunteers as would be needed for a typical call. A fully staffed rural station in Ottawa has 25 volunteer firefighters, while a composite station has 18.
Rath, a licensed millwright, sees firefighting as an enjoyable part-time job and isn’t concerned about the additional benefits that would come with being a casual city employee. Even if he moves, he would still sign up to be a volunteer firefighter wherever he lives.
Blaine MacDonald, 39, applied to be a firefighter at the Kinburn station about five years ago. He works as a forklift operator and safety co-ordinator at a Kanata warehouse, and likes the job for the camaraderie, because it helps him stay fit and because it has introduced him to people in the community.
“When I moved out here, I knew no one. Now I know everyone,” he said.
MacDonald would do the job even if there was no pay at all. “I have two young kids and this gives them a reason to look up to me.”