The town of Deep River has announced major changes to its fire department.
In a statement released late Friday afternoon, the town says that beginning Monday, October 17, fire services will be delivered through a “new standalone, composite model” with a full-time fire chief, four full-time staff, and 24 “fully trained volunteer firefighters.”
“A new weekday schedule will be implemented along with an on-call system for non-staffed hours over holidays, evenings and weekends.”
For decades, the town’s fire hall has been staffed with “two full-time firefighters around the clock.”
“Additional firefighter capacity, leadership and training has been provided by CNL since 2017.”
In its statement, the town admits the move is “expected to increase our initial emergency response time,” but at the same time will ensure a “more robust response, with more trained firefighters on site, both initially and in the event of a larger incident.”
“The change in our response time, which will continue to be faster than what is typically seen throughout Ontario, will be more than offset by the increase in the quality of the response.”
Issues around the town’s fire department go back to February 2011, when the Ontario Fire Marshall’s office issued a report stating that the town was not meeting its obligations under the province’s Fire Prevention and Protection Act.
“Based on OFM analysis of actual fires, the fire department is conducting operations without sufficient staffing, and this places occupants and firefighters at greater risk,” the review stated.
The town said the new “made in Deep River” fire model was made possible by co-operation among the town, the Deep River Professional Fire Fighters Association, and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
“The work of these three parties, along with vital consultations with the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA), the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and the Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office (OFM) will allow the citizens of Deep River to enjoy a safe, quality and cost-effective fire service.”
The town said that “along with the improvement in service levels,” the new service model will also result in “an estimated 38% reduction in the operational costs of the town’s fire services, saving between $650,000 and $850,000 per year after the three-year transition period.”
Under the new model, the town says, “all three lines of (fire) defence will be enhanced.”
“A significant focus on public education and fire prevention from the full-time staff combined with support from the volunteers is planned to reduce the likelihood of a fire incident.”
“The process for community members to activate fire and emergency services will remain unchanged,” the town added. “Residents will continue to utilize the 911 system to activate a fire emergency response at any time of the day.”
“The next stages of the transition will see a new Fire Protection Service Agreement developed with CNL that focuses on joint training and mutual aid response. The aggressive training schedule for the full-time and volunteer firefighters will continue with a focus on public education, prevention and leadership, as well as live exercises and drills.
“Our volunteer firefighters deserve a special thanks for their dedication and the hundreds of hours they have put into training to support our community. The next stage of the transition is expected to result in the Deep River department being one of the first in Ontario to have a fully certified composite fire department.”
The town says information sessions on the new fire service model will be presented during Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15), alongside fire-safety workshops and demonstrations. There will also be an information summary of the highlights of the new model and transition that will be circulated through both social media and Canada Post.
“On behalf of council I want to again thank our hard-working CAO, fire staff, fire chief, provincial and International union representatives, the Ontario Fire Marshall and our neighbours at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories for their dedicated and consistent efforts toward our long-desired goal of a highly effective and financially sustainable fire service for Deep River,” said Deep River Mayor Sue D’Eon.
“I also want to particularly thank the men and women who have come forward to serve Deep River as volunteer firefighters and our team who have trained them. I have personally observed some of the intense training you have completed and I am proud of your accomplishments and grateful for your efforts. My sincere thanks to all involved.”
(Photo: Deep River volunteer firefighters training at the town hall earlier this year.)
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