Is your department effected by buget cuts

[CanMan]

Hi,

I was just wondering after reading a lot about cuts in US departments if any of yours are effected by budget cuts??

I just heard that my department had to cut all live fire training probably for the whole year and I'm sure that's not the end of it.

CanMan

[CanMan]

So,
looking at the response to my posting I assume everything is alright for Canadian Fire Departments.

Well, I seriously hope it will stay that way brothers and sisters.

[itsnotahobby]

The only thing that we have seen is that management is seriously trying to stop overtime. This is not just with our department though it is city wide.

Good thing for us the way to reduce overtime in our budget is to hire for the current retires. So we've got new recruits starting monday.

[nocomment]

The only thing that we have seen is that management is seriously trying to stop overtime. This is not just with our department though it is city wide.

Good thing for us the way to reduce overtime in our budget is to hire for the current retires. So we've got new recruits starting monday.
Same on the Overtime and new recruits sometime in May.

[SJFF]

CanMan. I think the reason you didn't get much response to your question is due to the fact that alot of departments are constanly under attack from their respective city councils despite the economy. I know in our city (Saint John, NB) There isn't a year that goes by that there isn't some talk about the size of our budget and the endless articles in the paper calling for reduced budgets which we all know equals less firefighters.

Since 1993 we've lost 2 engines and a tanker and approximately 40 people. And this year is no different. We've been forced into arbitration by the city and the rumour is that if we recieve an award similar to what the city police got (approx 15% over 3 yrs) then they would force the chief to close down a truck and a station. It's only a rumour but it's no secret that a few of the current councillors are eager to make a department alot smaller. One councillor even suggested in a news article that the city recruit volunteers to handle our grass/brush fires which are about 500 - 600 a year.