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 heard 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.

 

[lenaitch]

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.

Thanks. Ottawa is somewhat unique (probably in more ways than one) because it is responsible for a large, populous city plus a georgraphically-large rural area. There are a few other large single tier municipalities, like Sudbury and Chatham-Kent, but not as 'unbalanced'.

 

[brihard]

Thanks. Ottawa is somewhat unique (probably in more ways than one) because it is responsible for a large, populous city plus a georgraphically-large rural area. There are a few other large single tier municipalities, like Sudbury and Chatham-Kent, but not as 'unbalanced'.

Ottawa’s geographic municipality is massive. It dwarfs (and could contain) Canada’s other major cities. It definitely makes for urban/rural challenges.

 

[mariomike]

Thanks. Ottawa is somewhat unique (probably in more ways than one) because it is responsible for a large, populous city plus a georgraphically-large rural area. There are a few other large single tier municipalities, like Sudbury and Chatham-Kent, but not as 'unbalanced'.

It would be nice if the part-time jobs go to young people hoping to promote to full-time careers in Emergency Services , when vacancies occur.

 

[lenaitch]

It would be nice if the part-time jobs go to young people hoping to promote to full-time careers in Emergency Services , when vacancies occur.

I don't know if Ottawa fire and EMS services have part-timers (I'm probably safe in assuming the police service does not). The use of volunteer firefighters, even solely or in a hybrid full-time and volunteer service, doesn't really lend itself to what would be normally considered part-time employment.

 

[mariomike]

The use of volunteer firefighters, even solely or in a hybrid full-time and volunteer service, doesn't really lend itself to what would be normally considered part-time employment.

The only volunteers I met on calls were Hatzolah.

I was under the rather misguided impression that volunteers only receive a stipend or honorarium.

But, it appears the vollies in Ottawa are members of a trade union.

 

[lenaitch]

But, it appears the vollies in Ottawa are members of a trade union.

Not according to this 2024 article. They applied to the Labour Relations Board but were denied.

"Last year, volunteers applied to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to unionize, the city’s report notes. The application was denied, but the board found that the firefighters could be considered employees under the Labour Relations Act. If nothing is done, “it is anticipated there will be continued discontent amongst rural firefighters,” warned the report."

They should be careful what they wish for. Becoming an employee of some status changes a lot of rules that might not be in their favour. If nothing else, as volunteers, they don't have to respond to every call.

 

[mariomike]

Not according to this 2024 article. They applied to the Labour Relations Board but were denied.



They should be careful what they wish for. Becoming an employee of some status changes a lot of rules that might not be in their favour. If nothing else, as volunteers, they don't have to respond to every call.

Thanks. Guess I was thinking of Hamilton volunteer firefighters. They are unionized.

COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

Between

THE CITY OF HAMILTON

and

CLAC LOCAL 911
GREATER HAMILTON VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS
ASSOCIATION, CLAC LOCAL 911
(hereinafter referred to as "the Union")
DURATION: January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2027

Hamilton, ON—Volunteer firefighters for the City of Hamilton overwhelmingly ratified an industry-leading collective agreement that includes substantial wage increases and other improvements. The volunteers are represented by Greater Hamilton Volunteer Firefighters Association, CLAC Local 911.

 

[mariomike]

Not everyone who works in paramedicine does work for a 911 system though -

Right.

Ontario has “Title Protection". The title “Paramedic" is reserved for - on-duty - members of municipal 9-1-1 paramedic services.

Ontario Ambulance Act Section 20.0.1

Holding out

20.0.1 No person other than a paramedic acting in the course of or in relation to his or her duties as a paramedic for an ambulance service shall hold himself or herself out as a paramedic.

When off-duty , if working part-time for a non-municipal employer , they are "Medics".

The word "paramedic" gets thrown around a lot. But - in Ontario - it has a specific legal meaning.

 

[medicineman]

Right.

Ontario has “Title Protection". The title “Paramedic" is reserved for - on-duty - members of municipal 9-1-1 paramedic services.

Ontario Ambulance Act Section 20.0.1

Holding out

20.0.1 No person other than a paramedic acting in the course of or in relation to his or her duties as a paramedic for an ambulance service shall hold himself or herself out as a paramedic.

When off-duty , if working part-time for a non-municipal employer , they are "Medics".

The word "paramedic" gets thrown around a lot. But - in Ontario - it has a specific legal meaning.

View attachment 101252

I wonder how much money was spent for someone to come up with that definition for them to justify keeping their job for at least another year...

 

[mariomike]

I wonder how much money was spent for someone to come up with that definition for them to justify keeping their job for at least another year...

That's the law in Ontario...

Not to suggest, in this case , Ontario is any better, or worse , than Manitoba. Just different.

 

[medicineman]

I get it's the law...it's a little odd though, but the provinces regulate EMS/regulated health professions. The fact that someone went out of their way to actually say someone who's qualified/licensed in a certain profession has to change the name of their title depending on where they're actually working is a little weird to me. If a person is a licensed physician, do they have to change their designation if they're working in a private clinic vs a public hospital? No they don't. Does a nurse? Well I guess sometimes - an NP working out of scope as an RN has to change that, something we see in the North, where they'll be doing a locum as a general duty RN, paid and insured as such as well...but they're still nurses at the end of the day. In MB, a paramedic is regulated by their own College and the RHPA...and are still called paramedics when they're not working on car. Like I said, someone was trying to justify their job...and maybe make it such that private companies can justify paying their workers less that don't belong to whatever union/association Ontario EMS workers subscribe to.