qRD board defeats single fire department policy motion

qathet Regional District (qRD) directors defeated two motions related to a single fire department membership policy.

At the August 28 committee of the whole meeting on Texada Island, directors reviewed a staff report recommending that the board adopt a single fire department membership policy, which would require qRD volunteer firefighters to be limited in membership in one fire department at a time. Currently, a small number of firefighters from qRD’s mainland fire departments volunteer for more than one fire department at the same time.

A staff report stated that there have been questions and concerns about dual department memberships since at least 2017. The report also stated that there have been questions and concerns about firefighter accident insurances, WorkSafeBC coverage, potential confusion at mutual aid calls, training attendance rates at each fire hall, potential safety concerns arising from conflicting operational guidelines, and the issue of fire department equipment at two fire halls. Should the board adopt the policy, members who currently volunteer with other fire departments would not be required to resign from any of the fire departments, but the proposed policy would limit new volunteers, according to the report.

A recommendation was brought forward that the committee recommend that the regional board adopt the single fire department membership policy, and that it be forwarded to the August 28 regional board meeting for adoption in order to be in place for onboarding new volunteer firefighters in September.

Electoral Area C director and board chair Clay Brander said he appreciated the staff report and it makes a lot of sense.

City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott said she was not in favour of the proposed policy. She said it creates barriers for volunteer fire departments. She said one of the biggest problems for fire departments is having enough people and allowing firefighters to participate with more than one department shares resources and people who are trained.

Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox said he has been a member of multiple fire departments in the region. He said he read the staff report and added that directors did not ask for the report, so he was surprised it was coming forward. He said in the end, he did not think the policy was necessary in his area.

Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall said if the recommendation did not pass, he would like to see it referred back to staff to look at a policy that could talk about what would be the conditions for dual membership in departments.

City director George Doubt said it did not appear there was a huge number of firefighters in more than one department. He said he hadn’t heard any information with there being problems with responses to incidents.

Electoral Area D director and committee chair Sandy McCormick said more information was needed before the board decides. She said she would like to know the process for cost-sharing with a member who was being treated for PTSD.

The recommendation, when put to a vote, did not carry.

The committee then considered a motion that it recommend that the board direct staff to bring back a report regarding the options related to the issues identified through the proposed single fire department membership policy. This motion was also defeated.

Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne then served notice of motion that he intends to bring forward a recommendation to a future finance committee meeting regarding a volunteer fire department service review.

Join the Peak's email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.