2024 Budget - Fire Services

The Peterborough Fire Services division provides fire protection services including suppression, public fire and life safety education, training, communications, fire prevention, Fire Code inspections and fire cause determination investigations. The Division also provides fire suppression and public fire and life safety services utilizing the three lines of defense as recognized by the Fire Protection and Prevention Act:

• Public Education
• Fire Safety Standards and Enforcement
• Fire and Emergency Response

Draft 2024 Budget overview

Highlights

Approximately 85% of the Peterborough Fire Services Operating Budget is applied to salaries and benefits. Peterborough Fire Services staff includes a Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Manager of Staffing and Logistics, 1.6 Full-Time-Equivalent Administrative Assistants and 107 Full-Time-Equivalents in Suppression and Support Services. In 2023, Peterborough Fire Services will continue to focus on succession planning as several staff members are eligible or scheduled to retire.

Peterborough Fire Services also provides fire and emergency dispatch/communication services to all eight neighbouring municipalities within
Peterborough County, and all seven municipalities within Northumberland County.

Any increased dispatch costs are offset by the associated revenues from the other municipalities. Peterborough Fire Services continues to operate a Technical Level Hazmat Program. All related training and equipment costs are funded by the Province.

Council Report CAOFS21-006 Fire Service Suppression Staffing recommended that there is a need to improve the depth of response for Peterborough Fire Services. Part a) of the report was approved in the 2022 Budget that added 8 Full-Time-Equivalents (which provided 2 Full-Time-Equivalents per shift) and 1 Trainer. Part b) of the report recommended that the Fire Chief bring forward staffing requests in future budget cycles using a phased-in approach over a number of years. Each budget year beginning with 2024 will include a request for 4 Firefighters (1 per shift) over a 5-year period for a total of 20 Full-Time-Equivalents. The 2024 budget includes the cost of 4 additional Firefighters.

Capital Budget highlights

Fire Fighter Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

PPE has an operational life of 5-10 years and includes specially designed pants and coats, gloves, helmets, boots, and other protective clothing to fire service standards. This program allows for the replacement of decommissioned PPE to ensure firefighters are suitably equipped to remain in-service when their primary set of PPE has been taken out of service for cleaning and/or repairs. Supplying the additional set of required PPE to each firefighter is mandated by the Ministry of Labour.

The 2024 will be used to purchase 40 Self Contained Breathing Apparatus that have reached their maximum anticipated life.

Fire Apparatus Replacement/Additions

The ongoing replacement of apparatus will lower maintenance costs in future years. To meet the proposed capital expenditures, the annual contribution of $300,000 from the operating budget to the Fire Vehicle Equipment Reserve Fund will need to be maintained. Two support units will be replaced in 2024.

Full budget details are available in the Draft 2024 Budget book.