Nelson Fire & Rescue Service has unveiled its Fire Master Plan, which has identified a need for more fire fighters.
City council funded the development of the plan, which is the first of its kind for the city.
Tim Pley & Associates Ltd. were engaged to develop the plan, which will guide the future of fire and emergency services as the community continues to grow and change.
With the plan finalized, the focus now shifts to implementing its recommendations, which were revealed to council on May 5.
Staffing needs
Since 1993, calls for service have increased by over 320 per cent, yet staffing levels have remained unchanged.
The city’s population has also grown, which, combined with the increased call volume, is placing additional strain on the department.
Fire Chief Jeff Hebert says the city is currently facing challenges in maintaining its service levels with its existing workforce and is in need of more staff to keep up with demand.
This includes both full-time firefighters and paid-on-call staff, as well as the hiring of a deputy chief to take over some of Chief Hebert’s daily duties.
“The existing structure in our department involves myself overseeing everybody below me. However, the deputy chief would be in charge of operations and training, allowing me to focus more on seeing the vision through and planning,” explains Hebert.
Short-term recommendations for the next three years include the hiring of a deputy chief by at least January 1, 2026, and two additional firefighters by July 2025, which Hebert says is currently underway.
“We’re just completing the second hiring now. We’ve already hired one person, and we just did the physical on the weekend for the next candidate. The deputy chief position will be posted at some point in the next week or two.”
The plan has also recommended restructuring the pay scale for paid-on-call (POC) firefighters to reflect experience and training, which Hebert says would also incentivize career advancement within the department.
“Restructuring the paid-on-call pay scale would better reflect experience and training, rather than just time with the department. Through the training, the final goal is Firefighter 1001 Level 2, but to get there, you have to go through training to exterior level, then interior level, and then 1001, and finally full service,” explains Hebert.
“Having that aligned with paid increases provides a little bit of incentive to advance through the system and complete the practices and tests.”
Ideally, the department would like to see a minimum of three on-duty personnel 24/7 within the next three years, while working toward a goal of at least four within the next six years.
Additionally, council has been asked to provide funding for a full-time FireSmart coordinator, regardless of the availability of grant funding.
FireSmart coordinators are typically a grant-funded position, but Hebert says some municipalities have funded the position internally while using any grant funding to move the program forward.
“We haven’t figured out exactly what this would look like, but it is one of the recommendations worth mentioning.”
Other key recommendations include outsourcing fire dispatch services, which are currently managed in-house, to free up personnel for emergency response, as well as the planning and construction of a new fire hall to replace the current aging facility.
Lastly, the plan emphasizes the need to enhance training, fire prevention, and interagency collaboration to improve efficiency and readiness.
Click here to review the plan, which is scheduled to go back to council in the future for further consideration.
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