Winnipeg's fire department poised to run $12.8M over budget: report
Spike in staff absence, including approved injury claims, leads to major overtime costs
The cost of running the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is poised to balloon millions of dollars above its approved budget this year, largely because of the increased number of hours in paid overtime as staff absences soar along with the demand for service.
A new report by city staff, which will be discussed at next week's standing policy committee meeting, forecasts WFPS will spend $16.4 million more than the city had approved in its budget for 2024.
The expenditure is offset by a planned revenue of $3.5 million, stemming partially from board-ups and demolition costs charged to homeowners, bringing the overrun down to $12.8 million, the report says.
WFPS is not expecting "this position to improve significantly during the rest of the year," and the report is recommends an approval of the overrun so WFPS can "continue delivering fire and emergency medical services across the city at current service levels."
According to the report the department has seen a spike in staff absence, including by approved injury claims, leading to an increase in overtime in order to maintain service levels.
Overtime alone will account for more than $7 million of the expected deficit, the report says.
'We cannot overtime ourselves out of the problem': union
Tom Bilous, president of United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, told CBC News the over-expenditure has been self-inflicted and rooted in staffing levels that have not kept up with the increase in call volume.
Bilous says the department's current staffing ratio has not been adjusted since it was established 50 years ago when firefighters responded to a tenth of the calls they take currently.
"Our call volumes have gone through the roof, our members are getting tired, they're getting injured, and so on, then people are working overtime," the union president said.
"Our members get burnt out, and they start to decline … it creates this vicious cycle. We cannot overtime ourselves out of the problem."
Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) says the city is hoping a partnership struck with the province early this year to hire 40 new firefighters and staff at a new fire station in Waverley West might ease the staff crunch and reduce the need for overtime.
But Santos, who also chairs the standing policy committee on community services, says the city has also beefed up its bylaws and policies on vacant buildings — including billing owners for the cost of dispatching fire crews due to a record-breaking number of fires over the last two years.
"We're putting in more stringent rules about boarding up … but of course, long term, it's not going to be sustainable."
'We need more revenue': Gillingham
Mayor Scott Gillingham told CBC News the department's over-expenditure has also been driven by the city's significant population growth in the last three years combined with "near crisis levels on homelessness and addiction," resulting in increased demand for their service.
"Our firefighters and paramedics are running from call to call," he said. "All of that is putting pressure on our resources, and we need more revenue."
Gillingham says the city hasn't seen a corresponding revenue to go with Winnipeg's population growth but added that there are discussions underway with the province to change that.
"We need more revenue to be able to provide the resources, to provide those services … to meet the needs of our growing city," he said.
The mayor said an emergency service fully dedicated to mental health calls, an alternative response to a 911 dispatch, could help to alleviate pressure on first responders and better meet the needs of Winnipegers.
A spokesperson for the province told CBC News the government is committed in ensuring municipalities have the resources needed to protect Manitobans, adding the province has already provided Winnipeg with $3.4 million to support hiring more firefighters.
In the meantime, Bilous says, the city needs to adjust the staffing ratio while taking a look at changing the rules to declare a position vacant, so when a member is off for two or three months, someone else could be hired, as opposed to waiting more than a year.
"There are ways to change this and fix it … we're talking about more bodies for the trucks we have."
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With files from Mike Arsenault