Also need to consider space issues
Oct 08, 2008 - 08:25 AM
By Jennifer Stone
CLARINGTON -- The Municipality should hire four new firefighters a year, expand full-time firefighting into Newcastle, and, eventually, add on to the current department's headquarters and build a new station between Bowmanville and Newcastle, says a consultant's report.
The report was intended to update the Master Fire Plan, prepared by Dillon Consulting in 2003. The 2003 document provided a plan which would see Clarington's fire department move closer to the so-called 10-in-10 rule, a guideline of the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office, which calls for 10 firefighters to be on-scene at an incident within 10 minutes.
But council has, thus far, not followed the plan.
"More recently, other services have taken priority," Claudio Covelli of Dillon Consulting said. As a result, the hiring of 13 firefighters since the original plan was presented, while improving matters, hasn't moved Clarington close enough to the 10-in-10.
The best way to move closer to that guideline is to hire four new career firefighters per year from 2009 to 2018, Mr. Covelli said. That will cost about $380,000 a year for salaries and benefits plus the cost of outfitting the firefighters, he said.
Much of the necessary equipment costs can be covered out of development charges, paid by developers to the Municipality to cover infrastructure costs related to growth. But those dollars aren't to be used to cover salaries.
Sticking to that plan won't be easy, pointed out Clarington Mayor Jim Abernethy.
"With our municipal budget, one per cent is about $314,000," Mayor Abernethy said. "The point is, it's going to impact our tax levy by one per cent or a little more each year."
The plan also calls for the relocation and construction of a new fire hall in Newcastle. Though Newcastle now relies on part-time firefighters, enough full-timers should be hired to staff a pumper for the village, Mr. Covelli said.
The current headquarters is also facing space issues, noted the consultant, who called for an expansion of the Bowmanville facility in 2012. Then, some time between 2019 and 2021, a sixth fire station will be needed in Clarington, Mr. Covelli said. He recommended it ought be built near Rickard Road and Hwy. 2, between Bowmanville and Newcastle, to allow for prompt response to both areas.
The report was referred to the 2009 budgetary process, expected to happen early in the new year, for consideration.
"The goal is for the Municipality to meet OFM (Ontario Fire Marshal) guidelines," Mr. Covelli said. "This model will get you there."
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