Windsor Fire and Rescue is on track toward being more than $1.5 million over budget this year, with staffing issues playing a major factor.
The projection was contained in the City of Windsor's 2024 second quarter operating budget variance report.
Windsor Fire Chief Stephen Laforet says a number of factors are contributing toward the variance, including additional vacation days added through arbitration, overtime, and long-term injury absences due the nature of the job.
Laforet says they also have minimum staffing requirements for their vehicles, which is both a contractual and safety obligation, which means they sometimes require overtime to meet those requirements.
Windsor Fire Chief Stephen Laforet says retirements have been also been a factor.
"We have a line of sight on what we may see retire in a given year, but everyone's individual circumstances change," he says. "Some people choose to retire when maybe six months ago they weren't thinking of retiring, but they're eligible, they decide to go, and they move their date. All of that does impact our staffing for sure."
Over 10 retirements have already taken place this year.
Laforet says it's a real juggling act in trying to look ahead to project what their needs will be in a given year when it comes to vacations, retirements and staffing requirements.
"Human resources are always big challenges for any organization; certainly no different for the fire service, but it's one that we try to mitigate through working with our HR business partners in terms of when we do have people off. Ensuring they do have the appropriate supports so we can get them back to work early and safely and minimize the time we have off," he says.
The fire department has 305 staff, with 258 of those employees serving as front-line firefighters.
Laforet says what they've tried to do with city council over the past few years to mitigate the variance and overtime is to hire above complement and have a few extra bodies in the stations.
"What it allows me to do is ensure that we have people working at straight time rather than at the overtime rate. That really has helped. We've cut into that overcompliment situation, and at the end of the year we will be in a deficit," he says.
On Wednesday, the City of Windsor announced that applications for the 2024/2025 firefighter recruitment are now available on the city's website.
Applications will be accepted until no later than 12 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. No late applications will be accepted.
To be considered for the firefighter recruitment with the Windsor Fire and Rescue Services, the minimum requirements are as follows:
- At time of application, an applicant must be eighteen years of age or older.
- At time of application, an applicant must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
- At time of application, an applicant must possess an Ontario Secondary School Graduation Diploma or Ontario Ministry of Education equivalency.
- At time of application, an applicant must provide proof of a current, valid, and lawful Class "D" driver's licence (or higher) with "Z" endorsement in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act for the purposes of operating a City of Windsor vehicle and provide a driver's abstract as a condition of employment.
- At time of application, an applicant must have a valid and current Standard First Aid & Basic Life Support (BLS) Certificate or equivalent from an approved provider.
Click here to find more information on the Firefighter Recruitment - General Information page.