Overtime Costs 2025

• $1,179,869
• 241 overtime shifts

Overtime Costs 2024

• $3.2M (highest per capita in Alberta)
• 1,920 overtime shifts

• First-Class Firefighter: $109,853
• Captain: $134,020
• Platoon Chief: $148,301
• OT is paid at double time

• City of Red Deer has an established target of arriving within 10 minutes, 90% of the time for all reported structure fires.
  • This target aligns with the High Intensity Residential Fire (HIRF) standard, which is a building code requirement that has guided The City’s established target of 10 minutes, 90% of the time.
• Alberta Health Services target response time for ambulance (emergency medical response) is 12 minutes. (City has a contract with Alberta Health Services to deliver ambulance until September 2026)
• From January 1 to July 31, 2025, the average response time was approximately 9 minutes and 50 seconds for all call categories (excluding AHS ambulance response).
• From January 1 to July 31, the average response time for structure fires was approximately 6 minutes and 48 seconds

• Target staffing level per shift is 31 employees.
• 17 employees respond to all reported structure fires.
• Fire Calls: 4+ firefighters respond to all fire calls (sometimes on 2 trucks instead of 1).
• Medical Calls: Single engine responds with ambulance, as needed.

• Every $1.5 million added to the budget equals about a 1% property tax increase. Reversing Dynamic Staffing would result in additional tax increases over and above what is already expected, for Emergency Services alone - without increasing service levels.
• Emergency Services currently makes up 17% of The City’s budget, and approximately 88% (2024) of the department’s budget is salary funding.

• Emergency Services has built in a relief factor, which is the extra staff needed to cover vacations, sick time, and other absences so the required number of people are always on duty.
• Red Deer operates with a 35% relief factor - one of the highest in the province.

• Since 2022, The City has added 32 new full-time employees in Emergency Services.
• In 2025, up to 12 temporary paramedics were also approved to cover leaves (7 hired to date).

• Red Deer’s population has grown 35% since 2003, while Emergency Services staffing has grown 73%, more than double the rate of population growth.

• Total: 15,594 calls.
• Alberta Health Services (Ambulance) EMS: 11,952 (77%).
• Fire Related Calls: 3,642 (23%).
  • Of the 3,642, 58% are medical, alarms 19%, outside fires 9%, vehicle collisions 5%.
  • Structure fires: 2% of all fire related calls

Operational Adjustments

Between October 1 and December 31 Station #2 operated at full capacity 91% of the time (167/184  Shifts).  
 
The following operational adjustments occurred: 

• Station #2 was fully closed 0 times (Out of Service Ambulance and Fire Engine)
• no staff were available for OT shutting down the ambulance to keep staffing at 27.
• When Station #2 is closed, we have 17 people responding to fire calls from the other 4 operational stations. 
• The Fire Truck (Engine 2) was taken out of service 2 times with the ambulance (Medic 2) continuing to operate at Station #2.
• Station #2 operated with 2 firefighters instead of 4 on the Fire Truck 15 times.
• Station #2 operated with 3 firefighters instead of 4 on the Fire Truck 1 time.
• Station #2 operated at full capacity 91% of the time (167/184 Shifts)

Dynamic Staffing: By the Numbers 

The chart below outlines the number of shifts less than where less than 31 staff were employed: 

Operational Adjustments

Between July 1 and September 30 Station #2 operated at full capacity 76% of the time (140/184  Shifts).  
 
The following operational adjustments occurred: 

• Station #2 was fully closed 1 time (Out of Service Ambulance and Fire Engine)
• no staff were available for OT shutting down the ambulance to keep staffing at 27.
• When Station #2 is closed, we have 17 people responding to fire calls from the other 4 operational stations. 
• The Fire Truck (Engine 2) was taken out of service 8 times with the ambulance (Medic 2) continuing to operate at Station #2.
• Station #2 operated with 2 firefighters instead of 4 on the Fire Truck 33 times.
• Station #2 operated with 3 firefighters instead of 4 on the Fire Truck 3 times.
• Station #2 operated at full capacity 76% of the time (140/184 Shifts)

Dynamic Staffing: By the Numbers 

The chart below outlines the number of shifts less than where less than 31 staff were employed: 

Operational Adjustments

Between April 1 and June 30 Station #2 operated at full capacity 81% of the time (148/182 Shifts).  
 
The following operational adjustments occurred: 

• Station #2 was fully closed 0 time (Out of Service Ambulance and Fire Engine)  
  • When Station #2 is closed, we have 17 people responding to fire calls from the other 4 operational stations. 
• The Fire Truck (Engine 2) was taken out of service 7 additional times (3 total) with the ambulance (Medic 2) continuing to operate at Station #2. 
• Station #2 operated with 2 firefighters instead of 4 on the Fire Truck 22 times. 
• Station #2 operated with 3 firefighters instead of 4 on the Fire Truck 5 times.
• Station #2 operated at full capacity 81% of the time (148/182 Shifts) 

Dynamic Staffing: By the Numbers 

The chart below outlines the number of shifts less than where less than 31 staff were employed: 

Operational Adjustments

Between January 1 and March 31 Station #2 operated at full capacity 93% of the time (166.5/180 Shifts).  
 
The following operational adjustments occurred: 

• Station #2 was fully closed 1 time (Out of Service Ambulance and Fire Engine)  
  • When Station #2 is closed, we have 17 people responding to fire calls from the other 4 operational stations. 
• The Fire Truck (Engine 2) was taken out of service 2 additional times (3 total) with the ambulance (Medic 2) continuing to operate at Station #2. 
• The ambulance (Medic 2) was taken out of service 4.5 times to support the staffing of Engine 2. 
• Station #2 operated with 2 firefighters instead of 4 on the Fire Truck 8 times. 
• Station #2 operated with 3 firefighters instead of 4 on the Fire Truck for half a shift (0.5 times). 
• Station #2 operated at full capacity 93% of the time (166.5/180 Shifts) 

Dynamic Staffing: By the Numbers 

The chart below outlines the number of shifts less than where less than 31 staff were employed: 

The current base salary for a first-class firefighter in Red Deer is $109,853 per year in addition to benefits and pension, premiums and shift differentials. A Captain earns approximately $134,020. The position of Platoon Chief (PC) earns approximately $148,301.

Overtime is paid at double the regular rate. For a first-class firefighter, the regular pay rate in 2024 is $50.11/hour. With overtime, this becomes $100.22/hour.

• OT Shift Example: For a 14-hour night shift, a first-class firefighter will earn $1,403.08. This is calculated as $100.22/hour x 14 hours.
• Regular Pay Example: For a 14-hour night shift, a first-class firefighter will earn $701.54. This is calculated at $50.11/hour x 14 hours.

In 2024, The City of Red Deer paid out $3.2 million in overtime to emergency services employees.

As part of the 2025 budget deliberations, City Council initiated decreases in the budgets for many City departments.  City Council directed a decrease of approximately $600,000, to be realized through implementation of dynamic staffing in emergency services.

There have been no job cuts in emergency services. In fact, since 2022, 32 firefighter/paramedic positions have been added within emergency services.