Comment by me on Fire Services

I may not have personal experiences of the fire department responding to my or my family’s emergencies (thank goodness), nor do I have firefighters in my family, but that does not diminish the vital role Red Deer Firefighters—and all emergency services—play in keeping our community safe and strong, particularly in a growing city like ours. I fully support our firefighters and the need to ensure they are properly staffed and resourced.

Prior to its recent discussion on the below podcast, I was the only candidate openly expressing strong support for the Fire Department. Rather than hosting a podcast and navigating whether discussing my campaign on my own podcast counts as advertising, I dedicate most of my time to direct community engagement—listening to residents, having meaningful conversations, and understanding their valid concerns.

We need to increase fire-medic staffing. I have said this since I first heard about our staffing problems. I often commented on the City of Red Deer page as to why they were spending media time promoting their transition of Red Deer EL&P into a Corporation and not doing Fire Fighter recruitment videos. I've since learned why - because they are mismanaged and misdirected by Council.

Without digging into any statistics I would say right off: If there are currently 30 total staff (per shift), we should aim to have at least 40 engine staff (per shift) on duty at all times in Red Deer. Basically whatever we have it should be at least 25% more. So, 194 firefighters should be 243 fire/medics (if possible all).

As a resident in Station 2’s coverage area, I do not agree with the explanation that ‘Station 2’s proximity to other stations allows for staffing adjustments without compromising service,’ as stated by Fire Chief Curtis Schaefer and Deputy Chief Schaefer. The reality for residents here tells a different story. While Council may defer to the Fire Chiefs on staffing matters, the impact on our community is real and cannot be overlooked.

The City of Red Deer’s Emergency Services department maintains records of EMS calls and service statistics. Specific EMS call records are typically accessed through Alberta Health Services’ Access & Disclosure team. I also question whether they track statistical data, particularly as part of our budget contributions for EMS services, especially with dynamic staffing models now being adopted in other communities.

Dynamic staffing is gaining traction in Canada, with Alberta leading the way. I doubt Council has received—or taken the time to review—all relevant information. Balancing a full-time job, family, and other responsibilities makes it difficult for representatives to fully serve the City. In my view, government officials should focus solely on their public duties while in office.

Dynamic staffing for fire-medics could be effective if all stations were adequately staffed. However, that isn’t the case in Red Deer, and reducing personnel on an already stretched service is, as I’ve stated before, irresponsible.

When speaking with a member of the Red Deer Firefighters, I highlighted what I call “red light syndrome” (edit: I might have called it 'stop light syndrome' or 'stop sign syndrome' as well, usual I tailor the example to the environment, small village vs city) —action often only occurs after a tragedy. This must not happen in our city; emergency services require proactive preparation for the worst-case scenarios.

Discussion in this video references “snowstorms,” but emergencies could occur in many contexts—such as high-rise towers like Capstone or older multi-family buildings catching fire. Even worse and rarely ever considered, many of the older complexes are not fully accessible to emergency vehicles.

Building codes in Red Deer are often grandfathered, as is the case with my 1960s apartment complex. Fire extinguishers are behind ‘fire doors’ in hallways, alongside fire alarms, with directional signage guiding residents 20 meters toward the front door instead of just 5 meters to the back. Many multi-family buildings are poorly constructed and have been described as “tinder boxes” or "ovens".

I have also expressed that probationary firefighters should start at a more competitive salary. While I was reminded that $105,000* reflects the pay of a first-class firefighter, starting salaries of only $55,000* limit the City’s ability to attract and hire sufficient staff.

Currently, our coverage response time is 7.7 minutes by coverage mapping estimates, but it should be 5–6 minutes. As Red Deer continues to grow, planning for 6–7 fire stations—not just five—is essential, particularly in newly developing areas such as Capstone.
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Remember, effective communication involves listening as well as speaking.