qathet Regional District (qRD) staff will research the cost and other implications of undertaking a fire services review for all fire regional district departments.
At the September 25 regional board meeting, directors reviewed a recommendation for the review, with Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall saying he didn’t see that a service review would solve anything for the Lasqueti Volunteer Fire Department.
“We do have some issues, but I don’t think spending money on a service review and dealing with the recommendations of the service review will help us in the sense that we know what a lot of the issues are,” said Fall. “We have planned for some of them, such as apparatus, and a fire hall that needs to be addressed. I’m not going to support this.”
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne, who brought the matter to the regional board, said he was in favour of the report.
City of Powell River director George Doubt said he was trying to figure out what he thought about the initiative. He said a service review doesn’t include Powell River Fire Rescue. He said there are fire departments on Lasqueti and Savary Islands, Northside and Malaspina. He asked how many fire departments Gisborne thinks should be included in the service review.
“If we are going to review, it makes sense to review the entire service if we are trying to increase the commonality between the services,” said Doubt. “What I am looking for is some assistance from director Gisborne to try and narrow it down about what it is he wants staff to do. What aspect does he want to report on?”
Doubt said he would like to hear from staff about how much work and cost was involved.
Chief administrative officer Al Radke said the whole issue is very complicated because there is not one regional service. He said he would suggest that the costs for the report would be allocated to each participating service.
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox said he was prepared to support the recommendation, and that the board needed to understand the cost and implications.
Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander said he was against the prospect of a service review because it was not necessary at this point, to spend money and time on the exercise.
Gisborne said the reason he brought the matter before the assembly was, as is outlined in the regional services review document from the provincial government, an individual director that is a participant of a service can initiate a service review. He said that does not require any motion to be passed by the board. It can be done by simply submitting it to the provincial government.
“The province, however, is going to want to know what has been done to try and resolve the issue without going to the province,” said Gisborne. “This is my attempt to get it before the regional district so we can deal with this in-house and we can deal with this in a way the board feels is appropriate.
“If the board’s will is not to go that route, I have been pretty clear that I want to see a review of the fire service, at least in my area, because I have a number of concerns and I’m hearing concerns from the community.”
The board carried a motion for staff to report on the costs and other implications of a fire services review.
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