The budget deliberation process continues for the Town of Battleford.
Council held its second budget session Monday at Town Hall, looking at the operations budgets for utilities, protective services, transportation and environmental health services and general government. The overall amount for fire department operations is $172,955, some of which will be offset by revenue from fees for service.
While addressing the budget line items for the Battleford Volunteer Fire Department, Fire Chief Larry Gabruch said the fire department is in good shape, and can hold its own compared to departments in other communities of the same size. He put that status down to appropriate annual budgeting to keep safety equipment and firefighting equipment up to date and well-maintained.
"We don't budget to have a surplus," Gabruch told council members. "We try to create line items that allow some wiggle room."
He added, "We've never been over on our bottom line."
The department is always aware of its time sensitive items, he said. Even without constant use, certain items have a finite life expectancy that has to be addressed to keep firefighters safe while they in turn work to save lives. He noted protective bunker gear, nozzles, and hoses as examples.
"Time is our enemy," he said.
All the department's protective gear is in good shape due to the policy of budgeting for replacing time sensitive components.
These items can be very expensive, said Gabruch.
"With a 20-man roster, if you don't keep chipping away at it you can get swamped."
As far as maintenance and repairs on vehicles goes, Gabruch said the department is fortunate to have three journeymen mechanics in the crew.
Gabruch also said the budget includes maintenance on the fire department building as well. Even though that building may not remain the fire department's headquarters ($20,000 has been put in the capital budget for pre-design work on a new fire hall), Gabruch said any investment in the building is an investment in town-owned assets. The building will likely be put to another use, perhaps as a parks and recreation shop, if the fire department moves out.
Gabruch said he expects wages for the 20-member volunteer department to be $88,000 in 2014, up from $81,345 last year. He qualified that number, however, by saying it will be affected up or down by how many calls they respond to, and possible increases in calls due to adding extrication calls to the Fire Protective Services agreement with the RM of Battle River.
Firefighters are currently paid $15 per hour for practice and $20 per hour for work in the field. Wages for the fire department is the biggest line item in the operations budget.
As the community grows, if competition within existing market forces grows to a point where the fire department has to offer more incentive to attract firefighters, remuneration may have to go up, said Gabruch. However, he indicated the current roster of firefighters sees their involvement not as a job but as a commitment to their community.
"All our members are there for the right reasons," said Gabruch. "That's to contribute to the community, not for the salary."
Gabruch also told council some equipment upgrades made to extend extrication services to the RM of Battle River have been partially paid for by the rural municipality.
The RM was receptive to the annual retainer requested, said Gabruch, and the department now has two fully equipped units in anticipation of the increased workload, and to ensure one fully equipped unit is available for calls in town, even when they've responded to a call in the RM.
The protective services budget also includes the animal and pest control operations budget. The overall total is sitting at $194,340, which includes $105,750 for wages for the special constable Geoff Thompson, an administrative assistant and an assistant special constable, still to be hired. The total also includes $50,000 for the town to hire a building inspector. A local inspector is being considered.
Included in the line items is $15,915 for emergency measures. Thompson said that would include equipment for electrocution protection and adding needed storage to the town's rescue boat. The item amount is lower than it could have been because some of it is being paid through the Fire Protection Service agreement.
Another budget meeting is scheduled for this coming Monday.
