Minto and Erin councillors have supported Wellington County’s initiative to hire a county fire training officer to assist fire departments throughout the county with training needs.
In his report to Minto council on March 9, Fire Chief Chris Harrow noted events in Meaford and Point Edward put strong pressure on the training programs for volunteer fire departments.
“The need for record keeping and proper lesson planning is vital for fire departments to have in order,” Harrow said.
He added all county fire chiefs have discussed the issue and decided the position is the way to move ahead with its training needs. Harrow said the county has agreed to fund the position, and included it in its 2011 budget.
The position will be based out of the Centre Wellington Fire Department office in Fergus and the officer would be considered an employee of Centre Wellington.
Because Centre Wellington’s Fire Chief Brad Patton is also the county fire coordinator, it would allow him to be the direct supervisor of the new training officer.
Harrow said the county fire chiefs association has created a committee to oversee preparation of the job description, hiring committee participants and eventually overseeing management of the position. He added the new training officer would be very useful to the Minto Fire Department.
“This person will help us create the lesson plans and safety plans we require for all of our practices,” he said.
It would be that person’s job to gather resources and keep the training records up-to-date and complete. The officer would also help local training officers at the stations prepare for training nights by having all the materials ready for use.
Harrow called the plan “a great opportunity for all departments in the County of Wellington.”
He said, “The opportunity for all departments to work together is immense. This is a good start for all departments and will hopefully lead to all of the departments working together on a regular seamless basis.”
Patton has been doing the rounds of municipalities, elaborating on the need for such a position. He told Minto councillors one of his passions is “maintaining the viability of volunteers. I’m sure it is not News to you, but there’s always been a disparity in our rural communities in Ontario.”
He said there are all the same rules to follow with the Ministry of Labour, environmental, water and sewer, “except we have a very small tax base.”
He added it is a challenge in a rural setting to meet all the rules and regulations being handed down by the provincial or federal governments.
Patton said the first concern is the health and safety of the firefighters. He said they need to be trained to properly protect themselves so that they can protect and help other people.
Next, he said, is the issue of liability. He said the world has changed, and liabilities to fire departments and municipalities has significantly increased.
On the issue of firefighter retention, Patton noted, “On average, to bring in a volunteer firefighter in Ontario, the cost to the municipality is $10,000 to $15,000.” Those are the costs associated with recruitment, training and outfitting.
And, Patton contended, it takes about five years before a firefighter becomes capable in all the workload. “It just takes time.”
He said as people move out from the Greater Toronto Area, they bring a lot of their expectations with them.
“Volunteer fire service is by far the most cost effective delivery system of emergency management,” he told council.
He suggested the primary difference is a five to seven minute delay – for volunteers to get to the station, get dressed and head out the door.
“The actual delivery of services, in most cases is the same,” Patton said.
He considered volunteers are an investment that needs to be nurtured. But, he said, in today’s world, there is too much workload in having volunteers look after volunteers and become leaders.
While this could be considered a portion of regionalization, Patton sees it “as a sensible solution with everyone working together.”
He said that Ministry of Labour regulations are onerous and fire services is probably one of the most heavily regulated occupations, whether it is taking the door off a car, entering a silo or fighting fires.
“There’s just a hundred regulations with everything,” he said. As well, there are regulations through the Office of the Fire Marshal.
He said bringing in a full-time training officer will help reduce municipal liability, increase the level of service to the public, aid in the harmonization of emergency operations throughout the county and increase the viability of local volunteer firefighters.
Patton said, “If we’re all receiving the same training, we’ll be able to work as a more cohesive service wherever we go.”
Council subsequently endorsed the recommendation to hire a fire training officer.
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On Tuesday night, after receiving the same presentation from Patton, Erin council also unanimously approved a resolution in favour of hiring the new officer.
Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan said he is “fully on board” with the proposal.
Councillors offered little comment on the new county position, other than to offer their support.
