Guelph-Eramosa Township has entered into a fire dispatch services agreement with the City of Guelph.
“We have the challenge that based on current operating practices, one of the first firefighters into the Rockwood station becomes our dispatcher,” said CAO Ian Roger at the Sept. 17 council meeting.
The township found that fire departments in Centre Wellington and Puslinch had the same problem.
However, it is the City of Guelph that takes care of fire services in the former Guelph Township.
In advance of this agreement the Guelph Fire Department dispatch services were implemented in Guelph-Eramosa, Roger explained in his report.
“The Guelph-Eramosa Fire Department has observed an improvement in response times from the Rockwood Firehall due to no longer assigning a first responder as dispatcher,” he wrote. “Essential benchmark communications have also been captured more consistently due to having professional dispatch services from the Guelph Fire Department.”
The agreement will be between Guelph, Guelph-Eramosa, Puslinch and Centre Wellington for a four-year term. The termination process requires one year’s notice.
The approximate annual cost of $29,000 was included in this year’s budget.
“This is a good thing,” Mayor Chris White said.
