A review of Powell River Regional District’s fire services has identified major issues and a long list of recommendations to address the challenges.
MJ (Jack) Blair Services was contracted to undertake an operational and administrative review of the regional district’s four volunteer fire departments, located on Savary and Lasqueti islands and south and north of the City of Powell River. Blair and Doug Dymond, who worked on the review as well, presented their findings to the rural services committee on Thursday, August 16.
According to the report, the regional district has allowed the four departments to grow during periods of changing liability and regulatory environments with “very little oversight, leaving fire departments with a great deal of autonomy.” The review identifies and prioritizes several “risk exposures” which have developed as a result of this approach.
Dymond said it was clear to him and Blair that Sean McGinn, manager of community services, needs some help. “The service is one that requires oversight and it needs to provide guidance,” he said. “It is our strongest recommendation that the board consider a fire services coordinator to assist Sean.”
The greatest exposure that the regional district may have is the lack of an occupational health and safety (OHS) program, Dymond said. “The worst thing that could happen to the regional district now would be a critically injured, or worse, firefighter,” he said. “From the folks we talked to, only Malaspina [Volunteer Fire Department] had a comprehensive safety program in place.”
The Northside Volunteer Fire Department had a lesser safety program in place, Dymond explained, and the two island fire departments have a minimal safety program. “In a terrible situation where somebody’s life is compromised or lost, the very first question that WCB [WorkSafe BC] will ask is, were you trained to do what you were doing?” he said. “If you were, can you provide the training records, who was in attendance, what was discussed? If you can’t produce those, it’s not a lot of fun.”
Blair pointed out that, according to WorkSafe BC regulations, any employer with 20 or more employees must have an OHS committee. He added that volunteer firefighters are considered employees of the regional district, yet it doesn’t have an OHS committee.
Dymond said that, given the nature of the service, the regional district should strive for commonality, including standard operating guidelines and common equipment. “It also has a huge role to play in purchasing equipment,” he said, which can lead to cost savings.
Another priority the review identified was a recommendation to develop an equipment and facility replacement capital plan to complement the regional district’s asset management and financial plans. The consultants recommended avoiding leasing where possible and developing reserves to facilitate purchases.
“It is clear to us that an asset management plan and an equipment replacement program is really, really important,” Dymond said. He added that Malaspina has both up-to-date and aging equipment, including tankers that are nearing the end of their useful lives. “Northside has very old equipment, especially in the tanker department and Lasqueti has very, very old equipment,” Dymond said.
Other priorities include formalizing the response boundaries and policies for Malaspina’s first responder and rescue service and for Lasqueti’s first responder service, for which the consultants could find no records. They recommended rewriting service area bylaws and developing clear policies regarding the types, levels and limits of service.
The review stated that regional district bylaws and policies are weak in explanation of the types and levels of service provided. “Given the varying standards of service, this is seen as an urgent undertaking,” the report stated.
“Despite recruitment and retention difficulties, members of all four departments are eager to improve themselves and their service,” the report also stated. “Volunteers have demonstrated their commitment and ingenuity in the delivery of the best possible service under the circumstances.”
Directors had a range of questions for the consultants. Staff will present a report on the implementation of the recommendations, including financial implications, in the near future.
The full report is available on the regional district’s website as part of the committee agenda package.
