No Mutual Aid Deal for Regional District
By 250 News
Thursday, May 15, 2008 02:39 PM
Prince George, B.C. – The Regional District of Fraser Fort George has once again struggled with the idea of mutual aid.
That would be an agreement that would allow fire departments from neighbouring communities to assist when the need rises.
The thought being not all fire halls can afford to have all the equipment needed to handle all types of disasters, so those with equipment to handle hazardous materials would be called upon should such an emergency arise in a neighboring area.
Directors for different areas have not been keen on the idea, worrying about everything from Worksafe B.C. to liability. Staff have addressed some of those concerns with the main issue being legal liability and depletion of resources:
A legal opinion was obtained regarding liability if the remaining resources in a service area were insufficient for handling a fire. The legal opinion is that if, through responding under the terms of a mutual aid agreement a department’s resources were depleted, the court would recognize that mutual aid arrangements are a common feature of fire fighting services and would be very reluctant to criticize a decision to enter into such arrangements.
The Working Group recommended that at no time will any Regional District fire services deplete its own service area of manpower or equipment in order to supply aid to another agency.
Staff also provided information on issues about WorkSafe B.C., minimum fire protection standards and damage to equipment. The answers weren’t good enough for some Directors
Director Bob Headrick wanted to know if any of the insurance companies had been contacted “I have always been under the impression that he who pays has the final say.” Headrick worries there are too many loose ends “It looks like a piece of swiss cheese to me. Its scary. Region wide, Prince George has opted out, Mackenzie has opted out and I can tell you right now Area D will be opting out. We have spent a gazillion dollars on services there. I have a concern we are going somewhere I think we shouldn’t be treading.”
Chair Art Kaehn, says the concerns in Woodpecker- Hixon are similar, as there is a shortage of volunteers and equipment and a concern of distances.
Director Harvey Clark supports the idea of mutual aid and challenged Director Headrick on what would happen if Headrick’s area lost a fire truck, as the two exchanged barbs, Clark had the last word saying” Burn baby burn.”
Only Directors Gendron and Harvey Clark voted in favour of supporting a mutual aid agreement for the entire region so the idea of a region wide mutual aid agreement has been defeated.
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Posted by: metalman on May 16 2008 10:28 AM
They should look into a regional wide training area, so that these people have proper training not just from someone that things they know want they are doing. Might even get some new members into these vol. fire departments.