A group supporting NB firefighters attended city council's meeting en masse Monday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

In the chambers

Group shows support in wake of possible cuts to fire department

Aug 20, 2019 | 6:19 PM

Clad in red as a sign of solidarity, a group of about 20 attended North Battleford council’s meeting Monday to give a quiet show of support for the city’s firefighters, after hearing the department could be cut by as much as 25 per cent.

Annette Sigstad, a resident and business owner, said she was concerned about everyone’s safety – the citizens and the firefighters.

She is aware there must be a minimum of four firefighters attending any structure fire for their own safety. With a reduced fleet, she worries there may not be sufficient staff attending every fire.

The North Battleford Firefighters Local 1756 union said on their Facebook page the firefighters are ready to respond but the proposed cuts will “affect their readiness.”

The union says the 25 per cent reduction amounts to four fulltime positions – two of which are vacant as they were not filled by the city and two staff have already been served notice they will be laid off by Sept. 1 – reducing the total number of fulltime firefighter positions from 16 to 12.

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Mayor Ryan Bater assured residents council has not mandated a 25 per cent cut to firefighters’ staffing. He said council has asked administration to work within a budget, and the budget for this year has changed Bater said the four positions referenced are relatively new hires.

‘”They were hired a few years ago, in order to accommodate a contract with the R.M. of North Battleford ,” he said. “The R.M. of North Battleford discontinued that contract this year.”

Further impacting the budget, the provincial government ened a contract for fire protection at the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford with the city.

These contract reductions slashed department revenues by over $369,000

“What council has asked management to do is figure out a solution to address that revenue shortfall,” he said.

He said city administration has invited the union to work with the city’s management team to find a solution.

“I know that layoffs are a last resort, but we are in negotiations,” Bater said.

The mayor said the proposed reduction of up to 25 per cent does not take into account the city’s 20 paid on-call part-time firefighters.

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Angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow