When the Town of Caledon was recruiting volunteer firefighters in 2017, Keith Sanger thought he was too old to join. But to his surprise, the then 65-year-old retired professional engineer was told that wasn’t the case.
“They said, ‘We want people who are retired from their regular job because you’re available during the day, and we have too few volunteer firefighters that do that,’” Sanger recalled. “So I thought, Oh great. It’s a chance to give back to the community (and start) a new career.”
Sanger was assigned to a station in December 2017 following training. Since then, he said he’s completed additional training to become a first-class firefighter along with public education training, enabling him to do fire safety presentations in schools, represent the department at town fairs and visit homes to check on smoke alarms as part of the Home Safe Home program.
“It’s a great job. You really do feel like you’re doing something useful,” Sanger said. “You’re continually learning, which is important, especially as you age. You want to be challenged all the time, mentally and physically.”
Sanger, now 72, was forced to retire Aug. 31 as part of the Town of Caledon’s new mandatory volunteer firefighter retirement policy.
Sanger said he’s “very disappointed,” noting he’s “very fit” for his age and has never had any difficulty passing mandatory testing, which includes search and rescue. “It’s just very hurtful to be told that I’m too old to be of any use to the town.”
As part of the policy, which was approved by council, all volunteer firefighters aged 70 and older were required to retire on Aug. 31. Volunteer firefighters aged 65 to 69 must retire by Dec. 31.
As of Jan. 1, volunteer firefighters turning 65 will be forced to retire on the last day of their birth month. Also beginning in the new year, volunteer firefighters reaching 60 will be required to take an annual medical exam and provide a “Functional Abilities Form completed by a physician certifying the individual’s physical and cognitive ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of a volunteer firefighter.”
In January 2029, a phased-in approach to volunteer firefighter retirement will begin, meaning each year the retirement age will be reduced by one year until the mandatory retirement age of 60 is reached in 2034.
“This policy was implemented to create alignment between the retirement age of volunteer firefighters and career firefighters, ensure the health and safety of Caledon’s firefighters, maintain operational excellence and mitigate health and operational risks,” Fire Chief Dave Pelayo said in an email last month, noting the town has more than 40 career firefighters and about 240 volunteer firefighters.
According to the town, the new retirement policy will affect about five per cent of volunteer firefighters by the end of 2024.
Sanger said he was verbally informed of the new policy in early July but received formal written notice on Aug. 16, which gave him only 15 days notice.
And although the position is called volunteer firefighter, it is a paid job, which was something Sanger said he only realized during his training.
Sanger said he earned $33.85 per hour as a first-class firefighter and worked roughly 50 to 60 hours per month. He said he believes those who have been forced to retire should be owed compensation in lieu of sufficient notice, noting some have served for several decades.
“They (the town) have been stressing that we’re volunteers, but one thing I can share is that every one of us has a town employee number and we’re paid monthly by the town and we are issued a T4 at the end of the year … so to me that’s being a part-time employee rather than a volunteer.”
Sanger said he’s now considering taking legal action against the town for compensation.
“I never did it for the money,” he said of his firefighting career. “But I just think they’ve handled this totally wrong.”
Sanger also takes issue with the annual medical exam requirement for those reaching 60.
“Why is that only if you’re over 60? That should be applicable to everybody,” he noted.
Pelayo said that there are no specific costs associated with the implementation of the policy and that costs for recruiting new service members are included in the operating budget.
“The phased approached to this policy combined with succession planning and ongoing recruitment ensures that there is no disruption to the level of service provided by firefighters in Caledon,” Pelayo said in the email. “As some of these dedicated firefighters approach retirement, we thank them for their service and contributions to Caledon Fire. We wish them a safe and relaxing retirement.”
In July, a total of 21 volunteer firefighters joined the department after completing 393 hours of coursework covering “essential certifications.”
Volunteer firefighters must be at least 18, live within eight kilometres of a Caledon fire station, have a clean vulnerable sector check and have a valid G driver’s licence. Volunteer firefighters are paid for their time responding to calls.
Coun. Dave Sheen said he’s “eternally grateful for the decades of selfless service” the volunteer firefighters have given to the community. “I hope they can enter retirement knowing how much they and their service is appreciated,” he said in a statement.
Pelayo said Caledon has a “proud history” of volunteer firefighting, adding “we are proud and thankful for the commitment” of the volunteer firefighters.
“Community safety and fire protection in Caledon is rooted in timely and effective fire suppression in emergencies and proactive risk prevention and mitigation efforts across the community,” he said. “We protect lives and property and also respond to crisis medical calls in a tiered response with Peel Paramedics. Caledon Fire and Emergency Services is also deeply committed to the health and safety of our firefighters, both volunteer and professional.”
But Sanger questions why he can’t continue his public education role within the service.
“I’m not angry at anybody by any means,” he said. “I’m just disappointed that I couldn’t carry on at least in some capacity even if I’m not allowed to run into a burning building anymore.”
Pelayo said the new policy “aligns our volunteer service with our professional service” to ensure all members have the same supports and protections.
“As the phase-in occurs, we continue to work within our 10-year Fire Master Plan to ensure strong response times and evolve the service to meet the needs of our rapidly growing and evolving community.”