The number of firefighters in Ottawa earning over $100,000 more than tripled between 2014 and 2015.

The sunshine list – the annual disclosure list of public employees making more than $100,000 a year – showed 403 Ottawa firefighters on the list in 2015. Considering the number of firefighters in the Ottawa Fire Services at the time, this means that over a quarter (28 per cent) earned over $100,000.

This increase in earnings is also reflected in the city’s own reporting. Actual expenses reported by Ottawa Fire Services in their 2016 annual budget showed an increase of 63 per cent in overtime costs between 2014 and 2015 – an increase of $1.4 million.

On the surface, this may seem alarming, but according to Ottawa Fire Chief Gerry Pingitore, several factors have contributed to this jump in earnings including staff reductions.

“With our staffing reduction, of course our overtime is going to go up because we have less people on duty that day,” said Pingitore. “Our overtime budget will increase but our savings as a result of reducing some staff over the last number of years is still saving.”

Pingitore points out that while the staffing ratio, the ratio between the number of people on duty and off duty, has decreased, the minimum number of staff required remains unchanged. The impact of the staff reductions is that when there are multiple calls, there are fewer people to call on, leading to off duty firefighters being called in and a resulting increase in overtime costs.

The City of Ottawa has been reducing its workforce since 2012 for budgetary reasons.

Though staffing reductions can touch all departments, city reports show that there were no reductions in the staffing levels of firefighters between 2014 and 2015. In fact, there was an increase. According to Ottawa Fire Services annual reports, between 2014 and 2015, 42 career firefighters and 30 volunteer firefighters joined Ottawa Fire Services.

The other factor that can contribute to the jump in firefighters on the sunshine list in 2015 is the number of fire incidents responses. Fire incidences encompasses house fires, explosions, and outdoor fires.

Firefighters respond to several types calls, ranging from medical, rescue to hazmat situations, however the 2015 Ottawa Fire Services annual report showed a 22.3 per cent increase in “fire incident responses” from the previous year (921 fire incidents in 2014 compared to 1,126 fire incidents in 2015).

Though Pingitore admits such an increase is not typical, he says it’s too soon to call it a pattern.

“I would say that it’s not a trend yet, but certainly very concerning,” said Pingitore. “The fires have risen in the last two years, so we’d like to see another year before we start to be really concerned.”

Though he’s careful in calling the rise in fire incidences a trend, he’s not shy about discussing the type of fires that he sees as contributing it.

“Where the fires are increasing, those fires are the result [of], or suspected to be, improperly discarded cigarettes,” said Pingitore.

Pingitore says that Ottawa Fire Services is planning on developing more fire prevention campaigns about unattended fires and the damage they can cause.

The 2016 Ottawa Fire Services annual report is expected in the next few months.

2015 Ottawa Fire Services fire incidences by ward.