Dysart et al council has been told it’s time the township starts thinking about potential sites that could one day house a new fire hall.
Mike Vilneff of The Loomex Group presented Dysart’s new fire master plan April 22. It includes 38 recommendations for improving operations at the Dysart Fire Department.
Vilneff said the document’s primary purpose is to ensure compliance with the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, provide a clear picture of the community’s current and anticipated fire protection needs, and recommend strategies to protect lives and property by enhancing public education, code enforcement, and fire suppression services – which he called “the three lines of defence” when it comes to firefighting.
Two of the top recommendations include conducting a study of the current fire hall, located behind A.J. LaRue Community Centre, to assess its current condition; and for the township to develop a new fire station replacement strategy, which would include information about site selection, land acquisition, funding strategies, construction, and disposal of the current facility.
Vilneff said the existing strategy, a decade old, is outdated due to price increases in recent years. He expressed concern, too, that the current station does not comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
Fire chief Dan Chumbley said the main part of the facility is approximately 50 years old. An extension was added in the late 80s.
He noted that while a new fire hall may be on the cards one day, nothing is imminent.
“It’s not that we need to be out of here tomorrow or anything like that. The recommendation has come in because the consultant is seeing what it’s costing other departments to replace their stations,” Chumbley said.
“It’s high millions, maybe $7 million to $10 million. So, because the building is getting up there in age, they’re saying it should be something we’re focusing on.”
The first step, Chumbley said, will be bringing someone in to assess the hall’s current condition.
“We need to know are we going to get 20 years out of it? Are we going to get five years out of it? Before we move onto figuring out how much, or where, we need to know the when.”
Other key recommendations include: Dysart formalize an agreement outlining their participation in the County’s mutual aid system, where local departments can access additional resources from neighbours when required; launch a program that outlines parameters to ensure firefighters aren’t exposed to high levels of diesel exhaust; ensure a formalized water rescue program is developed; launch a driver competency program for operating trucks; and conduct a water supply study to assess the non-hydrant-protected areas of the community.
The report also says staff should investigate the feasibility of installing a dry water main that would bring water directly from Head Lake to the downtown core.
Chumbley said the document is a big help for him as he plans for the department’s future.
“These guys are retired firefighters, chiefs, deputy chiefs, training officers… they know all the rules and regulations that, because I’m in a small rural community, I’ve just never run into. It’s a good procedural plan that we can fall back on as and when needed,” the chief said.
