Mayor Bruce Whale told Fire Chief Rick Richardson to extend council’s thanks to the volunteer fire department after council heard the year end report here on Jan. 24.
Richardson said the department responded to 164 calls between Dec. 1 2010 and Nov. 30 last year. The department runs using those dates for the annual report.
That is up 30% from 126 calls in the previous year.
The department spent 2,139 hours on calls during the year.
Richardson said one change from the previous year was accidents and rescues taking up 31% of the work, with medical calls coming second at 28%. Fires were in third place at 14%.
Richardson said insurance companies are billed at $410 per hour for equipment provided by fire departments. Council had budgeted revenue of $30,000 for last year, but for some reason that climbed well above the previous year’s rate. In the previous year it was $21,825, but last year it was over $58,000.
In the past year, the department:
– held 68 in-house training sessions;
– attended 10 county mutual aid information nights;
– hosted an Ontario Fire College trainer course;
– had five recruits attend a Module A firefighter course;
– had four recruits attend a Module B firefighter course;
– had six officers complete the Company Officer 401 course;
– had all ten officers obtain Ontario Fire College level 1 certification;
– had 22 firefighters complete level 101 certification;
– hosted a chain saw safety course;
– had 12 members receive confined space rescuer certification;
– had 15 firefighters begin water rescue training (to be completed in May);
– had six complete incident management system education;
– had both deputy chiefs complete a basic emergency management course; and
– had five members attend a solar panel safety course.
Richardson was pleased to report the department had an 89% attendance record for its training exercises.
The department added the following equipment over the past year:
– a new boat to continue water rescue;
– a pick-up truck for first response, equipment transfer and training transporter;
– five sets of bunker gear;
– a new portable pump and port-a-tank;
– up-to-date confined space rescue equipment; and
– rapid intervention team kits.
The department added five new recruits to its force.
Richardson said up to 80 sessions will be needed for training to continue over the coming year.
As for equipment, he said the department will need
– dry suits to complete water rescue training;
– six sets of bunker gear;
– four pagers;
– 10 SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) bottles;
– 20 “heads up” displays; and
– confined space harnesses.
Richardson reported training costs have dropped since Wellington County hired its own training officer for all departments. But he also told council that keeping good people is becoming a challenge.
In 2012, the department should look at ways to continue to recruit quality members, and he is looking for ways to retain current firefighters. He said that is because:
– 26 current members have less than 10 years experience on the department;
– in 2003, the average years of experience was 13; and
– in 2012, the experience average is eight years.
He said in 2010 there were recruitment nights in Drayton and Moorefield, which helped attract the latest recruits, and he added those might be needed again.
Whale thanked Richardson for his report, and said of the two stations, “We all know we have one of the best trained fire departments in the county. Their experience and expertise is certainly appreciated in the community.”
