Owen Sound Looks For Fire Cost Savings

Bayshorebroadcasting.ca
July 23, 2018
Matt Hermiz

A new combined fire service and reduced staffing levels are among the major changes consultants recommend Owen Sound city council consider to cut costs in the fire department.

Council was presented the fire services assessment from KCB Inc. at Monday's (July 23) meeting by Andy MacDonald, a former Brampton Fire Chief, who highlighted what he called the "big 3" recommendations to reduce the cost of fire services while maintaining an adequate level of safety.

Those recommendations include: dropping the number of minimum on-duty suppression staffing levels from five to four, creating a new fire service with the city and inter-township departments under one management team and implementing an automatic aid agreement with the inter-township fire department.

Council didn't waste any time pursuing the options, approving a motion to direct City Manager Wayne Ritchie and Fire Chief Doug Barfoot to make "best efforts" to implement the three major recommendations.

Ritchie says they intend to work closely with the unionized firefighters to move the service model along to find efficiencies and cost savings for the ratepayer.

"I think we heard this evening from council, representing the public, they'd certainly like us to look at a different model," Ritchie says. "But, the process will begin with our own firefighters."

MacDonald stressed in his presentation none of the options would be achieved without challenges.

His report indicates lowering staffing levels will require changing the current collective agreement with firefighters.

Meanwhile, a new combined fire service would need collaboration between Owen Sound, Georgian Bluffs and the Municipality of Meaford, as well as changes to separate collective agreements with two different firefighters' unions.

"To this point we haven't really spoken to Georgian Bluffs about this," Ritchie says. "If there's a willingness on all our parts, we always look at how we can best serve our publics. We do that, they do that. Sometimes we do it together."

"It'll be a conversation probably started at the staff level and we'll see if there's a willingness on both sides to go on."

The KCB report also listed eight similar sized communities to Owen Sound -- Timmins, Thorold, Collingwood, Orangeville, Brockville, Whitchurch-Stouffville, East Gwillingbury and Orillia -- and found the Scenic City had the highest total fire cost per capita at $240.

Owen Sound's average household income was also third-lowest among those at just over $74,000.

City council initiated a review of fire services in early 2018 after first directing the fire chief to complete a cost comparison report in late 2017.

As of 2016, Owen Sound was one of only 32 full-time fire departments in Ontario out of the province's 449 total fire departments.

The Owen Sound fire department budget for 2018 is $4.98-million.

KCB's assessment found fire services cost 16 cents for every one dollar spent by Owen Sound property tax payers.

The KCB report also included 17 different recommendations to improve fire service efficiency in Owen Sound.