Quebec City fire department

City announces major public safety hiring spree

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / Bruno Marchand, public safety, Quebec City, Quebec City fire department, Ruby Pratka, Service de Police de la Ville de Québec

City announces major public safety hiring spree

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Ville de Québec has announced plans for a record increase in the number of police officers and firefighters to keep pace with the growing population, city officials announced last week.

Mayor Bruno Marchand made the announcement on Nov. 19 at City Hall, flanked by Police Chief Denis Turcotte and Fire Chief Christian Paradis. The city plans to hire 101 new police officers and 72 new firefighters by the end of 2026, not counting normal retirement-related turnover – an increase of about 10 per cent – at a combined total cost of about $15 million including equipment. Marchand said the hiring spree was “the biggest wave of new hires at the [Service de Police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ)] in the past 25 years.” The cost will be borne entirely by the city.

“We have public safety at heart and we have to act in consequence,” Marchand said. “A feeling of safety, and safety itself, are sine qua non conditions for citizens to feel safe. The city has changed a lot since the early 2000s and the police and fire departments have to follow the rhythm. The population has gone up by 16 per cent, the police respond to 9,000 more calls per year, and we now welcome 4.3 mil- lion tourists a year. It seems banal … but it brings about a packet of challenges for our police and fire departments. … We want to act fast, to act in prevention, we don’t want to wait for a crisis.”

Marchand, Turcotte and Paradis cited the rising population, homelessness-related challenges, concerns about organized crime and stricter fire safety standards among the reasons new hires are necessary. “We’re sending a message that criminals aren’t welcome, that we want to live by the rule of law and make people feel secure,” said Marchand.

“As a police service, our engagement is to maintain people’s sense of safety … which is a precious asset,” said Turcotte. “If we’re proactive and we take the necessary measures, we’ll keep that trust.” He thanked city officials for responding to the SPVQ’s request for reinforcements, saying that the additional staff would improve the police service’s prevention and data collection capacity. Turcotte and Paradis said they were confident they would find enough new recruits to meet staffing targets.

“This is a very significant gesture, and we’re grateful,” said Paradis. “The population is going to benefit from this increased level of service. We aren’t playing catch-up, we’re planning ahead.”

Turcotte said police officers planned to meet with business owners in the coming weeks to discuss the potential impact of a greater police presence in their neighbourhoods.

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Firefighters’ union rejects proposed collective agreement

Ruby Pratka

editor@qctonline.com

Representatives of Quebec City’s firefighters’ union and city officials will return to the negotiating table after 75.6 per cent of union members rejected a proposed collective agreement on Oct. 22.

“This result is not a surprise for our organization, which had taken stock of the concerns and expectations expressed by its members throughout the negotiation process,” union representatives said in a statement. “During the consultations, it became clear that several major issues, both in terms of working conditions and salary and regulatory aspects, had not found satisfactory answers. Our members expressed their desire to see significant changes, and this refusal reflects their determination to obtain conditions that meet their expectations and needs.”

“We fully respect the decision of our members, which demonstrates the importance of the unresolved issues in this agreement,” said Alexandre Arturi, president of the Association des pompiers professionnels du Québec (APPQ), which represents about 500 firefighters, fire prevention specialists, dispatchers, in- structors and communications staff serving in the Service de protection contre l’incendie de Québec (SPCIQ; Quebec City fire department). “This vote sends a clear message: we must return to the negotiating table with the objective of obtaining concrete and lasting changes for all of our members.”

The APPQ “remains determined to continue discussions with the relevant bodies, with the same rigour and determination, in order to reach an agreement that meets the legitimate expectations of its members,” the statement said. “We hope this vote will be an opportunity for all parties to engage in a constructive and solution-oriented dialogue that reflects the realities on the ground. We would like to highlight the commitment and mobilization of our members throughout this process and assure them that their voices will continue to be heard in the coming proceedings.”

Under the Quebec labour code, it is illegal for municipal fire or police departments to strike; it’s also illegal for municipalities to lock out police or fire departments during labour disputes. The QCT was not able to obtain clear answers on what pressure tactics are available to firefighters in the event of a labour disagreement.

“In this context, [the Ville de Québec] will have to initiate the mediation process provided for by the law, despite the fact that the monetary and working conditions offered were, in our opinion, more than interesting,” city spokesperson François Moisan said in a brief statement.

Neither city officials nor APPQ representatives commented further, citing the ongoing negotiations.