Mayor Don McIsaac will recommend the city carry out a “comprehensive review” of its fire service in the wake of staffing issues temporarily shutting down one of the two fire halls in town earlier this month.
In a statement to OrilliaMatters, he said the fire department occasionally runs into staffing issues due to illness, vacations, training, and more — operating solely out of Fire Station 1 on Gill Street during these times — but he added the city keeps the safety of the community “top of mind.”
“As part of council’s ongoing commitment to the safety and well-being of the community, I will be recommending that the City of Orillia do a comprehensive review of the fire service, including number and location of stations, staffing levels, benchmarking, and service levels,” McIsaac said. “Since the mandated 24-hour shift has been implemented in our community through an arbitration order in 2018, it has proven difficult to maintain staffing levels for both stations.”
Last week, the Orillia Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA) raised the alarm about a recent city decision to cut back on overtime for firefighters.
Since Aug. 4, the city has opted against calling in off-duty firefighters for overtime during staffing shortages, which has led to closures of Fire Station 2 on Commerce Road and delayed response times throughout north and west Orillia, OPFFA president Brett Eeles previously told OrilliaMatters.
“(It’s) pretty significant when every second counts,” Eeles said last week. “Fires double in size every minute. As well as when we’re responding to medical emergencies, heart attacks, other serious emergencies, every second counts — brain damage can set in after four minutes.”
On Tuesday, Eeles said Fire Station 2 had been closed for a total of 10-and-a-half days so far in August, with more closures expected under the current policy, even though there are firefighters who are “willing and ready” to work overtime amid staffing shortages.
Despite the concerns, McIsaac said the community is in good hands.
“I want to reassure members of our community that our fire administration team and dedicated team of professional firefighters have operational plans in place to provide services when reduced staffing levels occur,” he said. “The city’s fire service is further augmented by a complement of 20 dedicated volunteers and through the municipal aid agreements we have with our neighbours. Our community is well protected.”
The OPFFA and the city are set to negotiate a new contract, with the current agreement expiring at the end of the year.
“The City of Orillia will not be negotiating with the association through the media,” the mayor said.
The city has not answered direct questions from OrilliaMatters regarding its changes to the fire department’s overtime policies, nor has it disclosed who made the decisions.
Members of city council were reluctant to weigh in on the issue with contract negotiations on the horizon.
“We’re certainly aware of the situation and definitely having regular conversations with city staff about it. We want to make sure that we consider everything,” said Coun. Jay Fallis.
“Union negotiations (are) done through the (city’s) CAO,” said Coun. Ralph Cipolla. “It only comes to council after they’ve agreed to some terms in the negotiations.”
Coun. Jeff Czetwerzuk, however, said he hopes to find a "positive" solution that addresses the union's concerns about public and firefighter safety.
“I've heard a lot of concerns from constituents about the closures,” said the Ward 3 councillor. “I'm very hopeful that we can figure out a … solution because public safety and the safety of our fire staff is very important to me, so I’d like see something that's positive in addressing these closures.”