Alberta Paramedics

[mariomike]

Just as an observer, the professional firefighter unions' objections to 'double hatters' always struck me as bizarre. The argument kept shifting from staffing and availability (what if a volunteer FF got tied up and couldn't meet his profession shift) to 'ensuring the standards of the profession, liability, risk to public safety, etc. - pretty much every evil. They not only take a position against it (which I kinda-sorta get because VFFs are non-union) actively advocating against it.

My former neighbour was a professional firefighter. He works about 10 days a month because of 24-hour shifts. For firefighters working for large services in the GTA and living in rurals, why not give back to your community for the other 20+ days? The benefits to the small rural departments is immense.

Thankfully, the Ontario government put an end to unions prohibiting double-hatting a few years ago.

Ottawa volunteer FFs are represented by the Christian Labour Association of Canada CLAC.

https://www.clac.ca/CLAC-Facts

Salary $20.389 - $25.494 per hour (2025 rates of pay)

https://firerecruitment.ca/job/rural-firefighter-ottawa-2026/

TFS has a very nice schedule with 24- hour tours

TFS OPS Shift Calendar

We worked twenty 12-hour shifts every six weeks.

 

[mariomike]

You mean unless they decide to moonlight elsewhere or quit to work elsewhere?

There is a gentle off-ramp from 9-1-1 Operations. Now .

Since 2016 , Cumulative Mental Stress cases are removed from 9-1-1 operations, and permanently placed into a "suitable" job classification with The City. Maybe in a different department. I think Parks Dept. is a popular choice.

Same employer. Same Benefits , OMERS pension , sick bank etc. continue uninterrupted.

Best of all , same salary , with all wage increases.

If the pre-injury rate of pay is higher than the relocated position rate, then the pre-injury rate is to be maintained. It is understood that the pre-injury rate is subject to all wage increases negotiated.