Castlegar City Council has voted to amend the pay structure for the Castlegar Fire Department (CFD).
Previously, CFD had one pay structure in place for all of its paid on-call firefighters, and a stipend for officer roles. It did not offer higher wages for those who had more advanced certifications or training.
The new pay formula follows a 2024 review of fire services designed to ensure the strategic and sustainable delivery of emergency services in the future.
A tiered pay structure that incentivizes career growth and retention, recognizes high performers and improves recruitment opportunities was one of the review's recommendations.
In order to set the new pay rates, city staff compared the pay rates of the two regional district fire departments in the West Kootenay and the City of Merritt.
CFD's new pay structure is slightly above that of other local fire departments, but an accompanying staff report presented that it is reflective of the elevated performance expectations and operational versatility required of CFD members.
The city says CFD members are distinguished by their comprehensive training and readiness to effectively operate all tools, equipment, and apparatus for all emergency scenarios, ensuring a consistently high standard of fire prevention, suppression, and emergency response.
The new rates are expected to cost the city an additional $33,000 per year.
The next step will be updating job descriptions to reflect the expectations required of all positions. Existing members that currently hold these positions or roles will be grandfathered in with an expectation they complete the required education and/or training necessary for that position or role.
New pay rates:
Junior members (16 to 19 years old) – minimum wage
Probationary/uncertified member base rate – $22.20/hour
Certified Firefighter (NFPA Level 1) 1.1x base rate – $24.42/hour
Certified Firefighter (NFPA Level 2) 1.2x base rate – $26.64/hour
Lieutenant (Team Leader) 1.4x base rate – $31.08/hour
Captain (Company Officer) 1.6x base rate – $35.52/hour
Acting Assistant Fire Chief 1.9x base rate – $42.18/hour
Out-of-area deployment as per the Inter-Agency Agreement – $54.00/hour
