Eight term firefighter positions were extended through the fall of 2025 by Jasper council.
Council approved the move at its Tuesday (March 4) meeting as well as the conversion of the captain of prevention position to a continuous role.
“This position is integral to recovery work and the demand created in the near term far exceeding what administration had planned for,” CAO Bill Given told council.
Following last summer’s wildfire, council approved the hiring of 10 term firefighters to help with the workload. A total of eight term firefighters are currently employed by the Jasper Fire Department, and their term is set to conclude at the end of April.
Christine Nadon, director of protective and legislative services, noted administration’s request would ensure the fire department can continue providing its level of service through the busy summer season.
“We are now asking for eight to continue through the fall of 2025 to carry us through hazard season as our volunteer fire department and [full-time staff] as well continue to recover,” Nadon said.
A second captain position was also established for a two-year term to assist with the increased workload related to the wildfire and the expected increased demand for building inspections.
The fire department has been unable to find a qualified candidate, despite a reassessment of the position and a slight modification of its placement upward on the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) wage grid.
“Recruiting for the position and getting appropriate skills and knowledge had been particularly challenging as a qualified applicant would have to leave other continuous employment to come and take a term position,” Given said.
The cost of funding the term contract firefighter positions are eligible expenses under the provincial government's Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) so long as their duties are directly related to incident recovery.
The captain position is also eligible for DRP funding for two years but would cost $100,000 annually after that.
Coun. Rico Damota supported extending the term firefighter positions but was not in favour of making captain of prevention a continuous position due to concerns about the budget and the potential cost down the road.
Coun. Ralph Melnyk was willing to make the motion since the position would rely on DPR funding until at least 2027.
Coun. Kathleen Waxer added the importance of the fire department was emphasized during the wildfire.
“It’s also critical that we respect that was an enormous toll on each individual, and it’s critical that we in this time support the recommendations that come from that department to ensure that they’re well positioned to continue to provide protection to our community,” Waxer said.
