TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: March 2, 2026 Report No. FIRE-26-002
TO: Council
FROM: Matt Furlot, Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Staffing Assessment
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council approve the conversion of the three Temporary Firefighter FTEs to permanent positions, reduce the proposed overtime in the budget to $50,000, and approve the addition of one Fire Inspector FTE.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report presents the results of the Temporary Suppression Firefighter FTE pilot, providing Council with evidence on the relationship between staffing capacity, service reliability, and overtime expenditures. It also outlines the department's fire-prevention capacity and the implications of establishing a Fire Inspector to meet legislative and regulatory expectations. Together, the analysis frames the operational, financial, and compliance considerations relevant to Council's 2026 budget decisions.
In prior years, operational pressures resulted in overtime expenditure exceeding the budgeted allocation. These pressures were managed through available municipal operating surplus when present. While this approach allowed the department to meet immediate service demands, it introduced variability into year-end financial outcomes and reduced year to year predictability, as surplus availability cannot be assumed. As part of the 2026 budget process, this report presents options that more closely align planned expenditures with known operating realities while maintaining the Township's established Level of Service.
The analysis does not indicate an expansion of service expectations, but rather an evaluation of approaches to sustaining the Township's established Level of Service in a financially and operationally predictable manner. The options before Council therefore focus on how the Township chooses to carry known and recurring operational costs, either through variable overtime, structural staffing capacity, or a blended approach, while su...
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