qathet Regional District (qRD) board will consider development of a comprehensive qRD volunteer fire departments honorarium policy.
At the July 13 finance committee meeting, directors also voted that unique differences among fire departments be considered.
Several pieces of correspondence had been sent to qRD from Lasqueti Islanders regarding the volunteer fire department there. Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall said he had spoken with several of the letter writers and other constituents, including members of the Lasqueti Island Volunteer Fire Department (LIVFD).
“All had a consistent perspective that the LIVFD honorariums should be allocated fairly,” said Fall.
He said there were two concerns. In 2021, the LIVFD honorarium budget was $36,000, however, only $6,548 was spent, according to Fall. In 2020, the budget was $20,000, but only $7,500 was spent.
“From 2019 to 2021, between 76 per cent and 83 per cent of the honorarium budgets for the Malaspina, Northside and Savary Island volunteer fire departments was spent,” said Fall. “However, it was only 26 per cent for LIVFD for the same time frame.
“The Lasqueti public have been consistent in their desire for the LIVFD honorariums to be allocated to the volunteers. It’s not often to hear taxpayers demanding that money be spent.”
The second concern relates to the fairness of the allocation among LIVFD volunteers, said Fall.
“The main message I’ve heard is people want equal honorarium compensation for equal time regardless of roles,” said Fall. “More specifically, since there are no BC Ambulance paramedics on Lasqueti, LIVFD responders carry a heavier load than areas with paramedics. I presume this is also the case for Savary Island.”
Fall said since first responder calls represent the majority of emergency calls, the volunteers put in a lot of time, such as in the middle of the night.
“We know honorariums are a crucial element of recruitment and retention. While the time spent can never be fully compensated in a volunteer fire department, equal allocation for equal time is viewed as fair by both the public and LIVFD members.
“It isn’t so much about compensation as it is about covering costs. Attending emergency calls means lost wages as well as the cost of car usage.”
Fall said he envisions an honorarium policy that provides a consistent framework among the regional district’s fire departments and that also reflects the unique situation of each. He said that all fire departments would not have the same honorarium structure in the regional district’s policy.
“It would be good for the board to be clear in its direction, which I have articulated in the revised motion before us,” said Fall.
The committee voted to recommend the board receive the information in the staff report and reconfirm direction to staff to develop a comprehensive honorarium policy to inform qathet Regional District volunteer fire departments, and that it takes into account the unique differences among fire departments.
