Mutual Aid Agreement Explored by Regional District of Fraser Fort George

By 250 News

        Prince George, B.C. – The idea of a  region  wide Mutual Aid Agreement has been  sent back to Regional District  of Fraser Fort George Staff for more information.

The idea follows the thought that no one fire department in the region can be outfitted to handle every type of emergency. Volunteer fire departments face even more challenges as there is a shortage of staff during working hours in mid week.  A recent fire at Ness Lake was a prime example.  The fire was near two other residences, and woodlands, there were water supply issues, and limited numbers of volunteers meant those who were first on the scene would also be the last on the scene.  Help arrived from some other volunteer fire departments, that help was key to stopping the spread of the flames.

Regional District of Fraser Fort George Staff presented the results of  a working group assessment of such an agreement to the Regional District Board of Directors.  The working group identified there is a need, however, the desire to take part in such an agreement is a different matter.

Director Bob Headrick says he’s been working on something like this in Area D and before there is any move to expand the idea he has lots of questions “Liability, who is going to pay?  Workers Compensation when a firefighter gets injured, who pays for that?  Whose insurance will pay when a truck gets damaged?  If this Board in it’s infinite wisdom decides to go with this, I would support it on one condition and that is that it is offered on a fee for service basis.”

Headrick is not the only one  looking at a fee for service  deal, the Mackenzie and Prince George Fire departments say  there is no  benefit to them  in signing up for such a service and they would  be interested in a fee for service  deal.   The fees would be for foam, fuel, lodging, meals etc.

The recommendation from the working group is that, at no time, will any Regional District fire service deplete its own service area of manpower or equipment in order to supply aid to another agency. That may be what is on paper says Director Terry Burgess of Bear Lake but in reality things may be different “I know our fire chief, he wants to help and I can just see our trucks and volunteers heading down the road, and the next thing you know the mill is on fire and there is no one in Bear Lake to deal with it.”

Headrick  says he’s been trying to  put together a plan for the airport to get  foam tankers and crews that could be on stand by “I’ll be damned  if I’m going to buy those trucks and see them head off somewhere,  they could be heading back to Chicago to look after Mrs. O’Leary’s cows for all we know.”

Regional District Board Chair, Art Kaehn says he too has questions “The Devil is in the details, so I would like to see what is in a draft agreement.”

The majority of Directors didn’t agree, opting instead to send the idea back to staff for a more detailed outline.  Director Headrick isn’t happy with that, he says if there is to be such an agreement he would like to be in on the discussion on what it should or shouldn’t include “I want to be involved in the process, not a briefing session. Who’s running the show?”

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