The city’s budget committee has voted to reduce Orillia’s volunteer firefighter budget by $10,000, according to the Packet & Times.
In the past year, the fire department has reduced its volunteer base from 28 to 20 members, but the funding remained the same. Fire Chief Ralph Dominelli says it was an operational decision to boost attendance, by the volunteer members. Dominelli does not think it will have an adverse affect on the volunteers or turn them away.
The volunteer budget is cut into four quarters and then is divided by the number of fire calls and attendance. The volunteers earn points through attendance of calls and training and that determines their pay, which is between $25 to $26 an hour. The volunteers’ pay is meant to cover their fuel and clothing, as they need to respond to emergencies at any time.
Dominelli says the fire department is researching a new pay formula for 2012.
