Members of the Grande Prairie Fire Service presented in the last city council meeting of the year after being told they would be subject to staffing cuts following council’s 2024 budget deliberations.
Grande Prairie Firefighters Association President Ian MacDonald says the department asked council for four additional staff members during last year’s 2023 budget deliberations, which was amended to two, with “a commitment to review the data in 2023” to discuss additional staffing needs.
Citing recent fire service expansions in cities like Medicine Hat, MacDonald says the decision to cut staffing came as a “shock for all members” of the Grande Prairie Fire Service.
“While other municipalities of similar size with half the call volume for service like Medicine Hat have expanded, and Airdrie is set to add another station and 24 members starting in 2024/25, we decide to reduce positions,” MacDonald says. “Every position matters, period.”
Mayor Jackie Clayton says she is “unable to discuss specific positions within the fire organization” as labour is a topic discussed in-camera; however, she has confirmed “there were decisions made at council that did have impacts in departments.”
“The budget was set at 6.08 [per cent] and in order to get to a 3.28 [per cent], there were some difficult decisions made, some of those impacted services, and some had other impacts as well.”
The mayor adds that fire, policing, and roads are the city’s top three expenses during budget talks. She says despite any cuts, the city remains committed to providing adequate emergency services for residents.
“We’re very collaborative of making sure that our safety programs whether it’s policing or fire, are well served so our community feels safe,” she says. “With that, elected officials on a regular basis make sure the appropriate amount of money is being spent.”
Additionally, Clayton says it is “realistic” to discuss staffing levels once again when budget talks return next year. Despite frustrations from the Grande Prairie Fire Service, Clayton says she “looks forward to continuing” the city’s relationship with the fire service in the future.
