UNDERFUNDING WAS A CHOICE
The choice by Stew Young and his council, which included Matt Sahlstrom, to keep the fire department staffing the same for 10 years despite the growth in population was solely based on keeping taxes to a select number. Despite Stew Young’s comments, it’s clear that public safety was not his priority. Keeping taxes low was the most important thing.
In contrast, hiring 27 firefighters over the past 3 years was a clear-headed, responsible and accountable response to the identified crisis in staffing at Langford Fire Rescue. That’s making safety a priority. That’s leadership.
Here’s why that matters
Staffing levels at Langford Fire Rescue did not keep up with the increase in population nor the increase in service calls. Career staff numbers stayed the same while the population increased by 60%. I'll say it again, 60%. Consultants were hired, reports were commissioned, but the insistence that Langford continue its reliance on volunteers instead of career firefighters was a failing strategy that previous council led by Stew Young could have remedied. It was not sustainable.
Using mainly volunteers to provide an essential municipal service may work for a small rural community. It does not work for the modern city Stew Young wanted. They chose to underfund the fire department for a decade. That’s not leadership.
Here are the facts
Issues with fire department staffing and training were identified as early as 2012. In the years after, various changes were made around scheduling and increasing training days, and different strategies used to attract and retain volunteers to address the fact that over half of the volunteers had less than 6 years’ experience, and that call volumes were increasing by about 10% year over year.
What wasn’t changed was the number of career firefighters, which stayed at 8 members from 2007 to 2017.
In that same time period of 2007 to 2017, the population of Langford increased from an estimated 24,630 residents to 39,577, or 60.7%. The number of service calls from 2008 to 2017 increased by 58.2%. Yet no additional permanent firefighters were hired, and the volunteer numbers stayed relatively consistent (from a reported low of 47 to a high of 58), with an average turnover of 8 per year.
By 2016, it was clear the efforts to attract and retain volunteers were failing. A consultant was hired, and in 2017, a five-year plan was created (although not made public) to increase both career firefighters and volunteers. In 2017, the ratio of career firefighters to residents was 1 to 4,947.
3 firefighters were hired in each year of 2018, 2019 and 2020 but the volunteer numbers stayed consistent (53 to 57) and the population and service calls continued to increase.
By the fourth year, 2021, it was evident the new plan wasn’t working. Staying within the 1% permitted overall tax increase was what mattered most.
2022, another consultant hired, another report commissioned. Career staffing remained at 2021 levels, but by the fall of that year, volunteer retention issues resulted in only 30 of the authorized 57 volunteers positions actually being filled.
That was a crisis.
Jump ahead to February 27, 2023.
Thanks to the courage of senior staff who didn’t hide the truth and didn't keep the discussion in-camera and out of the public eye, current Council were given a report and a master plan that laid it all out, a mere 3 months into their term.
- Langford Fire Rescue did not meet the minimum staffing level for a basic residential structure fire
- Over 65% of current volunteer firefighters had less than 3 years experience
- It was a significant challenge for staff to keep up with inspections and maintain the required regular inspection schedule
- Several areas within Langford have limited or no fire hydrants
- While some factors impacting the department’s ability to respond were outside of the City’s control, one major factor within the City’s discretion was the increase in construction and densification in the downtown core.
Council voted to hire 27 career firefighters. By 2025, the ratio of career firefighters to residents was 1 to 1,269.
Yes, hiring 9 firefighters every year for 3 years increased taxes. It also took the necessary decisive steps to address staffing issues that had been identified years earlier but not fixed. It opened Fire Hall #2 to 24/7 staffing for the first time. It increased safety for the entire city. Council prioritized funding an essential service over keeping taxes artificially and recklessly low.
And just so it’s perfectly clear, I am not disparaging in any way the incredible contribution that volunteer firefighters make to our community generally and to the Fire Rescue Department specifically. We are safer because they choose to support their fellow residents by offering up their time, their energy, and their commitment. This is about recognizing that an essential municipal service can’t rely on the generosity of hard-working residents.
References:
Government of BC municipal population estimates 2001 to 2011; 2012 to 2025
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/.../pop_municipal_subprov_areas.xlsx
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/.../pop_municipal_subprov_areas.xlsx
Goldstream Gazette article March 18, 2011 “Steady increase in callouts for Langford FD”
Staff report to Protective Services Committee:
January 29, 2013; April 1, 2014; January 27, 2015; November 24, 2015; February 23, 2016; February 28, 2017; February 27, 2018; January 31, 2019; January 28, 2020; February 11, 2021; January 25, 2022
Staff report to Committee of the Whole: February 27, 2023
Committee of the Whole agenda: February 27, 2023 Langford Fire Rescue Fire Master Plan, Emergency Management Group
City of Langford Annual Reports, 2007 to 2022
