It was only a matter of time.
In November, a portion of Station Road in Hillsburgh was closed because of structural concerns to the road across a private dam.
When it comes to responding to an emergency call, every minute counts – and a few extra minutes can make all the difference.
Because of the road’s proximity to the Hillsburgh fire hall, the closure was bound to have an impact on responses. That happened on March 4 in a vital signs absent (VSA) call on the 6th Line.
At around 1am, Dianne Acheson discovered that her husband Bill, who has a history of sleep apnea, was not breathing.
She started CPR before a volunteer firefighter who lived nearby came directly to her home instead of going to the fire hall first.
Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan agreed any time an active bridge is closed, it has the potential to affect response times. He said it means using other roads to reach a specific destination.
“Does it affect response time – yes, it does.” As for the significance of that delay, he deferred comment.
Without the bridge, responders can still use Sideroads 22 or 27, but he added, “Having the bridge gives us quicker response times to the areas west of Hillsburgh.”
As for the March 4 incident, Callaghan said the local firefighter took the initiative, because “he lived on the other side of the bridge and he knew that every second counts in this type of situation.”
Callaghan said Station Road is used frequently by the department because it allows vehicles to use more paved, rather than gravel roads.
One of those areas is Cedar Valley, Callaghan said.
“It does create a time delay, but it is not insurmountable,” he said. He compared it to being used to taking a particular route to reach a certain destination, then being required to travel a different path.
Callaghan said the March 4 call was the first since the bridge closing.
Since the closure, Erin has taken a number of measures to solve the problem. Water is undermining portions of the structure, specifically around a culvert. As a result, council chose to close the road.
More than once, roads superintendent Larry Van Wyck has called the matter a jurisdictional nightmare.
The result is a small portion of Station Road is closed between Trafalgar Road and the 6th Line, but that section severed the quickest link between some residents and the fire hall located about 100 feet away from the Station Road causeway and bridge.
Since the closure, the town has done numerous investigations and tried to work with local government agencies to get the road opened.
Since the road is on an earthen dam and involves water, any construction work is subject to approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and Credit Valley Conservation (CVC).
Earlier this year, council moved to halt further work until it has a clear response from the two agencies.
To complicate matters, while it may be a public road and a town-owned culvert, the lands to the north and south are privately owned.
Additionally, if the area is deemed a cold water stream, work may not be able to happen until July to ensure the integrity of the habitat. If that happens, it could be some time before the issue is resolved.
March 20 Update
As of March 20, councillors received communications from both the CVC and the MNR, as well as property owner Marcy Quayle.
However, that information did little to resolve council concerns.
For more details, see next week’s edition of the The Wellington Advertiser.
