City report warns budget target may impact firefighting overtime staffing and equipment

A new city report is warning fewer equipment and firefighters could be used for overtime in order to find the $3 million in savings budget 2024 is asking the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service to achieve.

According to the city, a minimum of 167 full-time equivalent (FTEs) workers per shift are needed to operate all their apparatus, but to ensure there are enough staff when absences arise, 216 FTEs are scheduled per shift. Right now, the department calls in overtime when they go below their minimum 167 FTEs threshold.

In order to save money, the new report says when staffing goes below the department’s 167 FTEs threshold, instead of using overtime, they would now temporarily remove equipment from operational rotation.

The report includes an escalating chart showing the more staff they are short, the more equipment will be taken from service. If there is a shortage of more than 16 full-time equivalent staff beyond the threshold, overtime will then be used due to safety.

“I think we need to review that $3 million ask. We’re not looking to make Winnipeg any less safe when it comes to fire, paramedic response,” said Councillor Evan Duncan, chair of the Community Services Committee.

Duncan says despite the city report saying savings of this level can only be found through staffing because it represents 86 per cent of costs, he says efficiencies can be found elsewhere.

“I think it is important that we look at other options to make sure that it is really realistic the $3 million number.”

But the chief says WFPS is already stretched-thin.

The report also warned they may not run a 2025 recruitment and about 24 firefighting positions could be permanently removed if they continue to have to find this level of savings.

“We don’t have wiggle room; we are operating a very lean operation here,” said WFPS Chief Christian Schmidt. “We can anticipate there can be some response time delays.”

Tom Bilous, the president of the United Firefighters of Winnipeg added, “In the past weeks, mental health has been top of mind, we lost our brother. Removing apparatus out of our fleet will only add to the stressors, this is not going to help anything, it’s just going to exasperate the situation.”

The city says the cost savings will not affect EMS since Shared Health covers the cost.