Association pushes for firefighting standards

By Heather Killen

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Fire service is changing and change costs money, was the message conveyed during a recent meeting in Lawrencetown.

Senior members of the provincial Fire Service Association recently held an information session to discuss the future of fire service in the province.

President Roy Bremner told the audience in order to ensure the future of fire service in the province, it’s necessary to introduce a consistent standard for fire service. The association acts as a unified voice for approximately 300 fire departments in Nova Scotia.

Roughly 50 people attended the September 17 meeting held at the Lawrencetown fire hall. Municipal representatives joined fire officers from Annapolis, Digby and Kings counties.

"We know that this area has one of the best mutual aid networks in the province," Bremner said. "There are lots of volunteers willing to go above and beyond to provide emergency service in their communities."

In order for fire departments to continue to provide protection in their communities, they must ensure that each member has the necessary equipment and training to the job, he said.

The association is trying to establish and introduce consistent standards for fire service and officer training in the province in order to rally for adequate levels of funding.

Bremner told the audience that small departments across the province are struggling to keep up with the escalating costs of training and equipment.

On average it costs a minimum of $2,000 each year to prepare one firefighter with the necessary training and protective gear.

The cost of buying, replacing and maintaining equipment is rising to the point where some small departments may be going without safe and reliable equipment.

Bremner said that a simple hose fitting can cost a fire department more than $1,000 to replace. The association is looking to the municipalities to support its effort to introduce consistent standards and rally the province for stable funding to support the service.

"We have been asking what are fair and equitable standards of fire service for the province," Bremner said. "The process will also develop minimal standards for training, and eventually lead to access to more consistent standards of funding."

Unlike other provinces, in Nova Scotia fire service is generally provided by volunteers, and funding levels vary between communities.

The limited budgets of outlying communities often puts a financial strain on small departments, and an additional burden on firefighters who have to spend their time fundraising.

"We think there are better ways that fire fighters can spend their time," he said. "If they aren’t training, they should be home spending time with their families."

Introducing consistent standards of fire service is necessary to secure funding from the province, because the province will want to know how money is being directed and what type of services it’s buying, he said.

Eventually, the association is hoping that legislation will be created to ensure that all departments are guaranteed a stronger future, by outfitting each department with enough support from the province to properly train and outfit each fire fighter.

"Not every department will need every piece of equipment," he said. "But we need to ensure that each department has what it needs to serve its community’s needs."

Fuzzy Connell, an Annapolis County councillor, asked whether the new training standards would force smaller departments to close their doors.

Bremner said that the association is introducing the process by establishing minimal training standards for officers first and it will be implemented in manageable steps over a period of time.

"We are setting down minimum requirements," he said. "We hope to have the instructors train volunteers in their communities, rather than volunteers having to travel across the province for training."

Mike Lockett, a local member of the Fire Assocation and deputy chief of the Bridgetown Volunteer Fire department, said he thinks that introducing a uniform standard of service across the province is a positive step for everyone.

"Nobody should feel threatened by this, it’s good news," he said. "This is where fire service needs to go in Nova Scotia."

He added that as it is, many departments in the province are functioning below the national standard for fire service and that the municipal tax base can’t support national standards.

Introducing a consistent standard of service and training for officers across the province would also enable individual departments to work together better in the event of a large scale emergency such as the 1998 Swissair crash in Peggys Cove.

Lockett added that unlike many jobs, firefighters can’t just walk in off the street and pick up the job. In Bridgetown, the annual training budget is approximately $5,000 for a 40 member department.

‘It’s a double-edged sword, we can’t get funding without standards," he said. "And we can’t meet standards until we get adequate funding."