Consultation Insights

Compensation

BCGEU, PEA and Management Band Positions

·        CORE Team volunteers come from BCGEU, PEA, and Management Band positions.​

·        Inconsistent and misunderstood overtime provisions have created an inconsistent volunteer experience and negatively impact engagement and retention.​

·        BCGEU members are paid overtime according to the collective agreement. ​

·        PEA members are compensated through a combination of Overtime Shift and Standby (OSS) and Meritorious Service.

Meritorious Service as an Incentive

·        Management Band positions may be compensated for overtime through Meritorious Service provisions​

·        Criteria for Meritorious Service are not well-understood and approval for Meritorious Service is not guaranteed. This creates a disincentive for Management Band positions to participate.​

·        Ministries often rely on Meritorious Service to bolster engagement and involvement in emergency response. ​

·        There is a perceived unfairness in the types of emergencies that qualify for Meritorious Service given the varying levels of effort involved (e.g., Covid response vs. Wildfire).

Resourcing and Recruitment

·        There is an urgent need for more preparation time to effectively respond to the growing number of emergencies.​

·        ​There is a surplus of generalists and a lack of specialists in the talent pool for CORE. This leads to staffing shortages in roles that require specific expertise for deployment.

·        Frequent turnover with ministry staff may disrupt personal connections and hinder problem-solving and coordination.​

·        The volunteer model does not work well due to the unpredictability of emergencies. There is a resounding call for a full-time, professional emergency management workforce with clearly designated roles to handle the recurring state of emergency.

·        Due to resource shortages, response capabilities can be quickly overwhelmed during significant events, leading to outsourcing of expertise.​

·        ​Reliance on seasonal and temporary staffing and the difficulty in retaining individuals with necessary experience and a long-term commitment to emergency management highlight the need for dedicated, full-time emergency management teams to respond to chronic state of emergency. ​

Training, Deployment, and Post-Deployment

·        Just-in-time training leads to members who are not ready being deployed, resulting in performance issues and less effective emergency responses.​

·        The absence of a consistent, province-wide training plan has created regional disparities in response approaches and contributes to a shortage of specialists.​

·        ​Training opportunities are limited by the high cost of specialized training and a lack of standardized qualifications and experience for critical response roles.

·        While there are policies and resources in place to protect the mental wellbeing of public servants deployed in emergency responses, there must be an increase in awareness and use of those supports.​

·        ​Even with meritorious service compensation, it is not feasible for volunteers to be deployed multiple times per year due to stress, since the nature of emergency management work often results in poor work-life balance.

Centralization

Benefits of centralization were highlighted including:

·       Standardized and streamlined processes across all ministries will alleviate administrative burdens.

·       Consistent messaging and communication for ministry staff and volunteers will increase engagement, enable positive experiences, and improve member retention.

·       Equitable and easy access to all available resources across the province could be provided through a centralized pool of talent.

Some considerations to enabling a centralized approach were also mentioned:

·       The new EDMA legislation may create implications for ministry roles and responsibilities.

·       Currently, there is no single entity in BC’s emergency response system that can fully manage complex emergencies due to funding and resourcing constraints. This may prevent the province from handling the full scope of emergency response needs.

·       Centralizing CORE may weaken personal connections that currently drive involvement. Some public servants join or recommit to CORE based on existing relationships, which could be disrupted in a centralized system.