This months Prince Rupert Fire Department report for City Council will outline a workload that is much as it was one year ago for the city's Fire fighters and Emergency Responders, with 53 incidents recorded this year, as it was in 2023, the call out for response more than half of what it was just two years ago.
During the month of February 2024, the Prince Rupert Fire Rescue Department responded to 53 emergency incidents. Of these incidents, there were 10 fires, with 2 properties sustaining significant damage, and 3 motor vehicle incidents (MVI’s).
Of the 10 fire calls for February, two resulted in property loss totalling 15,000 dollars for both.
The report from Fire Chief Jeff Beckwith also outlined the ongoing work on fire inspections and training for the city's Fire fighters as well a to provide for a summary of the work load found at the 911 Dispatch centre at the First Avenue Fire Hall.
You can review the full report from the City Council Agenda Package for tonight's council session.
More notes on the final session for March is available here.
A wider overview of the work of Emergency Responders across the Northwest can be explored here.
Number of incidents have halved in recent years, but the number of firefighting employees has ballooned to 30?
ReplyDeleteSoon they will eclipse public works employees
They have to be pretty close already. Public works seems to be shrinking as the fire department grows.
DeleteWill the discussion of “paid volunteer” or “paramedic/firefighter” be discussed soon?
ReplyDeleteCouncil discussion was tabled back in November 2023. When will it be brought back up in council?
Mostly administrative, ambulance and RCMP calls. Looks like Rupert needs less Firefighters and more of the other emergency services.
ReplyDeleteWonder what the employee ratio to Paramedics or RCMP is?
To get the Prince Rupert firefighter’s collective agreement, you need to file a Freedom of Information request. I don’t think any other public service union is that secretive.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. You really cant find it. I believe it is on par with Vancouver and eclipsed the New York Fire Fighters.
DeleteIt is a known fact that some of the firefighters have other part time jobs and side gigs. Is it technically a “career fighter fighter” when you have soo much extra time to take on other work? $180,000k average + another Job. That’s ridiculous
North Cowichan has a collective agreement with their 100+ paid volunteer firefighters (CUPE 358). Why doesn’t Rupert do something similar to that?
DeleteAn in tune council would see and try to implement what other municipalities have done, efficient and effectively. Especially if it’s beneficial. Get out of your old ways PR Council and implement, mostly trivial, ways of dealing with issues that others in the province have done for decades.
That’s an interesting point you bring up, I just wonder if PR has the community support to have volunteers come out, I know port ed can barely get a handful to come out there. Last I heard the port ed department has numerous spots available for volunteers but no one is willing to put their time in like they used to. And even if they were miraculously 100 volunteers for Prince Rupert, how many of them will have training and be eligible to volunteer for fire fighter (criminal record check, fitness)
DeleteI know terrace has volunteers but I checked they only have 1 active volunteer and the city is trying to get away from the volunteer model and go full time career? (Makes no sense to me unless Terrace is finding their volunteer support to be not enough to support that type of fire department)
I wish I had time to volunteer but I’m already working 60+ hours a week
I personally spoke with the Terrace fire department and they are NOT trying to get away from the paid volunteered system. Port Ed is 100% volunteer. Apples to oranges here. Special Events can barely get any volunteers for seafest. If it were paid, and incentive to move up, into a full time position, it would definitely work and drum up a lot of interest. There are a lot of people in town that may want a career change, port might be a little slower these days. New immigrants would jump at the chance. Terrace offers in house training and incentives.
DeleteI myself would love a chance to try this out.
Reading the monthly reports of what the firefighters in PR actually deal with, seems like the average Joe could accomplish.
Kelowna has the training facility and academy. Programs range from 6-12 months. Full service firefighter is a 1 year program. Beats a full on 4 year university degree. Plus you make over 6 figures starting if your first job is Prince Rupert.
Other cities and municipalities have either a full volunteer or paid volunteer system. For PR’s size and needs, that’s the model that fits.
Are you serious? There’s no way on this earth I or an average Joe would be able to do the majority of their job (have you ever worn firefighter gear and gone into a burn building? I lasted about 2 minutes and never wanted to put that mask on again)
DeleteEven without the physical toll or not wanting to wear the gear for fires, I’ve done cpr once in my life and it still messes me up. Dealing with family’s screaming at you while you’re doing your best to save a life.
Imagine having to see blood and guts and tragedy day in and out. Absolutely 0 chance I would do that career even with the high salary.
Why in the world would anyone do it for free or paid on call (peanuts). I always tell my nieces and nephews to do anything other than work in the emergency field.
Average Joe. That is a quite the assumption. As for paid volunteer, they wouldn’t go out there day one and start fighting fires on the front line. Seems like no one knows how the system works. There’s lots of training to get through, theoretical and practical. Once, and if, you pass that then you’re put on the back lines until you get the hours. Career fire fighters lead the charge, but paid on call is helping hand. Majority of the calls are non emergency. Why pay someone $80 an hour to do simple task that a $35 an hour person can do? Or two $35 an hour people with the training can do?
DeleteAlso, PR firefighters are not paramedics that see “blood and guts” everyday, which I doubt they see offers as well. PR FD doesn’t make those kinds of service calls. You’re thinking of Kitimat firefighters that kind of work as a firefighter/paramedic combo.
Health care industry has been despair for decades, but applications to become a PR firefighter keep rising.
I believe one of the fire captains used to work across the street from the fire station. They got their minimum training and now made a great career as a firefighter. Add additional opportunities and posting and watch others try to follow their foot steps.
DeletePlace a posting out for a “paid on call” firefighter and see what type of people respond. Setting minimum requirements and prerequisites of course.
The city has a lot of talented young people. Give them an opportunity, training and a platform to shine and they’ll succeed. You never know, they may make a full time career out of it. Here or in another fire hall
Only 2 actual fires? $15,000 damage doesn’t seem like much.
ReplyDeleteActual fire costs and Wrong # dial almost on par with each other at 23.
The fire department needs as much of a full review and audit as the current Healthcare system.
Were you hoping for there to be more damage? The 2 properties were worth nearly $300k and sustained only $15000 worth of damage. Looks like the dept did what they’re paid to do and put a fire out before it escalated to something worse.
DeleteWatch council glaze over this report quickly and onto the next topic. Seems like the ballooning firefighter budgets are never the “hot item” discussion. $4 million budget and increasing, nope, rather talk about more memorial benches in the downtown
ReplyDeleteAs the report is presented to Council once a month, you could always attend a Council session to make note of the findings and to express whatever solutions you believe are feasible towards Fire Service in the community ...
DeleteCheck the Council Agenda's (published on Friday normally) for each session AND if an item is listed, it's open for your commentary in the public comment period each session.
They may not comment, but if the topic is raised you never know, they may discuss it! NCR
In a perfect world I have no issue with a substantial, paid, professional fire department. But seeing staffing levels increase so dramatically while our taxes go up substantially and our community has so many other needs, is concerning. This isn’t to diminish the value of the service that our firefighters provide but I can’t help but shake my head at city hall and council. It appears that priorities are a bit out of whack and that management capabilities are questionable.
ReplyDeleteThe department needs to be halved, it’s ridiculously overstaffed. Just a license to print money over there at this point. Cuts need to be made across the board.
ReplyDeleteIm not sure I agree with that considering the potential for disaster with the amount of large industry here
DeletePR Firefighters do NOT have any sort of contract or obligation to attend to federal property fires (port). Would they still attend morally? Probably, but a bill would most likely be sent to them. The tax payer pays for municipal fires only. In Kitimat it’s much different. Their firefighters are also paramedics (hybrid system) and they attend to , LNG and industrial fires. They also get paid much less than PR firefighters on average. Fire Cheif PR made $250,000. Fire Chief Kitimat made $150,00. How does that make sense? Take a look at the SOFI and Annual reports. Call outs, responses, etc. Judge for yourself
ReplyDeleteFire department article is published, local taxpayers become financial experts and go through our city’s SOFI line by line.
ReplyDeleteCitywest article is published, local taxpayers forget basic math.
I’m not sure that it’s the firefighters themselves that would have a contract with these properties, it would be the city, and if the port is paying their tax obligations in whatever form that is (PILT), then i don’t think the city has a leg to stand on saying no to a fire dept response at those locations. As for pay, my understanding is the majority of the provinces municipal firefighters make the same wages. Maybe overtime or a new contract with back pay are the reason for a different sofi number when compared to their Kitimat counterparts. Same reason why not all public works employees make the same wages. A fire chief would also be considered management and would most likely not be subject to the same collective agreement as the firefighters.
ReplyDeleteThere is no such agreement with the port and city in regards to fire coverage. It was brought up in council during November of last year and council members themselves didn’t even know the answer if they do or do not. They just went over the topic quickly like usual with no real answer or follow-up. Industrial fires are a whole different ball game. PR firefighters would need additional training, equipment, apparatuses and employees to deal with anything at that scale. That would result in them asking for an increased wage. With stricter building codes, sprinkler and fire suppression technology getting better, the need for physical firemen at those sites and typical new builds becomes less and less. The port has equipment and their own emergency measures in place to deal with fires.
ReplyDeleteWages do differ from municipality to municipality. Should a Prince Rupert firefighters get paid the same as someone in Vancouver? That deal with real fires and emergencies that result in millions of dollars worth of damages?
As for management, that’s quite the gap between Kitimat and PR. If you look at the Sofi reports from the previous 5 years, there always has been a $50,000-$100,000 wage discrepancy between the two municipalities. This isn’t simply just backpay. If it’s additional hours or overtime, is that really necessary?
Once again, paid on call firefighters needs to be looked into and implemented. It will save the tax payers a lot of money. Those additional funds can go towards parks or something else to beautify the city.
Are you going to volunteer for “paid on call” aka volunteer firefighting?
DeleteWill you get up at 2am for a medical or fire emergency or car crash is the middle of winter that requires you to be at the fire hall asap (too bad about having to watch your kids the next morning, or having to go work at your 12 hour a day job that starts at 6am)
Get real, Prince Rupert lacks young people who are able/willing to volunteer for the fire service.
Take a look around and tell me where you’re going to make these volunteers appear from?
Maybe all the international students brought in by your liberal government could volunteer?
Let me know how that goes for you when your “paid on call” service shows up to your house fire with 3 under qualified volunteers and 20 minutes to late.
Sincerely a 40 year Prince Rupert local.
There are hundreds of other industries that utilize paid on call. And have been for decades and it’s been proven to be working fine. You understand that paramedics and other health/first response, and large industries work that way as well. It works in other municipalities. You get that this is not a new idea or system correct? Why not start with 5 paid volunteers and go from there? What if it works wonders and you get great paid volunteers that want to make it into a full time career? Keep the same staff but implement and try to think forward and not backwards. Lumping and generalizing Rupert residents is not the correct way to look at this situation. It’s the equivalent to boomers saying that this generation is under achieving and it’s their own fault they can’t purchase a home. Not sure if you’ve ever been through a hiring process but you vet people and put them on a probational period. There are more than capable people in the city and others that would move here. Put out the call and see what get. Bet you bright people stuck working minimum wages jobs, that have no way of moving up, would jump at the opportunity. Most, if not all, of the current fire fighters are not local people that have moved here in the last few years. They get their experience and leave (deputy fire Cheif)
DeleteThis is a “paid volunteer system”. They would be city staff and part of a collective agreement.
The liberal government, is Canada’s current government. Unless one is not a citizen, the term “your” is incorrect.
Sincerely 25 year University Degree Educated Prince Rupert Local
Some PR fighter fighters have other part and full time jobs. If that’s the case “paid on call” employees would fit right in.
DeleteOn call means just that, you’re on call, ready to answer and be there on little to no notice. It would be vetted to make sure the hired on call doesn’t have a labour intensive “12 hour” job the next morning. That is what the “paid on call” portion would take care of. If you’re worried, ask other municipalities how it’s working for them? There are hundreds of other cities in Canada other than Terrace that utilize that system.
“Sincerely a 40 year Prince Rupert local” explains the “boomer” type of response.
ReplyDeletePrince Rupert is lacking new ideas. Same old solutions to same old problems has gotten the city to the low level it’s at right now. Borrow and use tried and true ideas from other municipalities and industries. Look past Terrace as an example. Municipalities of this size utilize paid on call for everything from health, first response to city public works.
Hire a few “paid on call” fire volunteers and see how it fares. It might work well, it might fail. Current council learns from past council. I for one like the idea of implementing such an idea. Gives a chance for people to try a new career and get valuable training.
I like the idea. Only issue is can that current firehall support paid on call (let’s say additional 20 people)? Where would they train these paid on call. They should find a place to build a “training ground” and modern firehall in order to get the most out of a paid on call and career blended system.
DeleteLocal bargaining agreements can be found here,
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bcbargaining.ca/?search=1&company=Prince+Rupert%2C+City+of§or%5B%5D=public§or%5B%5D=private&industry=&un=&date_type=0&startdate=&enddate=&q=
Fire is mentioned nine times.
Union is mentioned 136 times.
Get the picture?
Fire casuals have increased from four to six.
Dispatchers and guards work twelve hour shifts.
Stats are paid at a twelve hour rate.
This does not included firefighters?
DeleteThere is no mention of firefighter rates? All other union employees rates are shown but fire rescue. Unless I’m seeing it incorrectly. Only way, mentioned above, to see their actual wages is to “Freedom of information” process through city hall. Not sure why so secretive, especially when all other municipalities are transparent.
DeleteI believe a lot of people in the comment section don’t understand the term “on call paid” and the actual requirements and application process it is. There are prerequisites and minimum requirements, like any other position in the world, that are required outlined in the posting. Prior experience, first aid, education level, driver abstract,criminal record, fitness/medical requirements to name the least. Look at the Abbotsford firedepartment posting for on call. Yes Abbotsford has a paid on call fire fighting crew. The posting is actually closed now but still can be viewed. Yes shocker, they got almost 200 applicants for 1, “on call paid” position.
ReplyDeleteOnce someone is chosen they go throw training, theoretical, and hands-on
The Kelowna firefighting academy is only 8 months long. It hands on and continuous training that ever fire fighter needs to do. Career or volunteer, it comes down to training. The paid on call would be side and side with the full time staff until they either become full time if the position is available or move to another fire department altogether.
Are there new people in the city, or someone ready to relocate to apply? Of course! Rupert was and is built on people moving into the city. Be it short or long term, someone decided to come to Rupert from somewhere else to work or live.
We need full time firefighters, but complimenting them with “paid on call” is what a “city” this size needs to implement. Taxes are high for a reason, why not look at ways of reducing them, giving more people opportunity to go into a career, and call PR home?
Could you share a link to the Kelowna firefighting academy?
DeleteThe fire department has become massive with ever increasing budgets. 90k for a new command 1/2ton pickup!!! No wonder everything else is neglected here. All we can afford is the FD
ReplyDeleteHave you priced out a vehicle lately? Add a light package and siren and badging and you’re at 90k pretty quickly. Maybe they’re going with a 3/4 or 1 ton to increase some capability of this vehicle for future use? Just some thoughts considering some of the comments above suggest Prince Rupert is lacking new ideas. Talking about going to a system like terrace? I’m pretty sure terraces new command vehicle is a 1 ton. That’s a start
DeleteIt’s a 1/2 ton purchased by them. If it was a 1 ton I’d be more forgiving. I bought a 1/2ton dodge work truck this year for 66k.
DeleteMy point exactly, 66k for the truck and 24k for lighting, siren, radios, badging, canopy, maybe a rack to hold some equipment in the box, who knows what else the truck has that we don’t know about. Adds up to 90k pretty quick just like I said.
Delete