The city’s fire chief says a master fire plan could improve everything from response times to personnel if the recommendations in it are put in place.
The plan, which makes over 104 recommendations, lays out eight high-priority recommendations that should be implemented in the next five years. The first is that over the coming years, city council needs to commit to the fire plan’s goal of having initial emergency response times within six minutes.
With fire stations like Neebing and Mapleward seeing a 40 and 50 per cent population increase in their areas since 1992, there are currently gaps in that response times.
Fire Chief John Hay said moving the Brown Street Fire Station to a location near Rosslyn Road and Neebing Avenue while rebuilding the Neebing Fire Station could help an additional 580 people get service within six minutes. Hay said there were options where the Brown Street station could be moved to.
"It is not a ’we have to have it there scenario’," Hay said.
Some of the fire services’ communications equipment is over 50 years old. The plan recommends a complete review of fire and rescue’s communications system. There could even be an opportunity, once a new system was in place, for other municipalities to use Thunder Bay’s system Hay said.
"In this electronic age, distance is not an issue," Hay said.
Other recommendations include increasing staffing levels by four people for prevention, training and administration and establishing a fitness and wellness committee for all fire staff. Hay said the fire plan is a living document that would be reviewed every year. All decisions in the plan would require council’s approval.
While some councillors had questions Coun. Mark Bentz, who chaired the meeting, said the fire plan was a first report to council and should be debated on Nov.14 when it comes up again.
A meeting for the Neebing Fire Station is scheduled for Oct. 18. A date for the Brown Street Fire Station is coming soon.
