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Feature Article April 24

Feature Article April 24, 2002

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New CF Fire & Emergency Director wants to improve Servicesby Jeff GreenJay DeBernardi has been on the job as Director of Fire and Emergency Services for Central Frontenac Township since January, after his predecessor Bill Ireland took a job in the Maritimes late last year.Since coming into the job, DeBernardi, who lives on Fall River Road near Hwy. #7, says he has "been encouraged - even amazed - by the fire crews dedication. They really have one interest in the whole thing: making their communities safer."

It has been five years since the amalgamation of the four fire departments of the former townships of Kennebec, Olden, Oso, and Hinchinbrooke into one department, with four district halls and crews. However, DeBernardi says, " From an operational perspective, each district runs its own fire crew. They can draw on the resources of the other districts as they see fit." He says his job involves working with district chiefs and crews to coordinate activities, and to represent the Fire Department to Township Council.DeBernardi mentioned several projects that the department is working on to improve services:

Re-drawing Boundaries

When the fire departments were serving different townships, one crew would generally serve its entire township. However, the new map the district crews are drawing will split up the areas simply on the basis of a locations distance from the fire halls themselves. In some instances, this could cut down considerably on response times.

Recreating Burn Permit

There is a new version of the Central Frontenac Permit that is coming available now. See "New Burn Permit Clarifies burning rules"

Emergency First Response (EFR)

Fire Departments do more than fight fires, and with EFR training, many volunteer firefighters serve the function of front-line medical workers as well. District 3 (Oso) of the Central Frontenac Fire Department has been a leader in developing this service, with many members having taken training in EFR. DeBernardi says "more and more of the firefighters throughout the four districts are undergoing training, using the Ontario Fire Marshalls Offices EFR Training program, which takes 40 hours of instruction to complete. Added to that, there is a 12- hour defibrillator training many are taking."

The hope is that each of the four districts will attain a portable defibrillator, like the one that District 3 has been using for several years.

Simplified Risk Analysis

The Fire and Emergency Department was slated to begin a Risk Analysis projection process this month to help determine the future needs of the area. The analysis is to be based on several factors: the age and style of construction of the Building Stock within the township; the distances between buildings and firehalls; the fire fighting capacity of the crews; and demographic information. This process will inform the chiefs, the director, and the township council about the most appropriate training and equipment purchases they should undertake over the next few years. The Simplified Risk Analysis process will be done with the help of Provincial Government employees, but the current strike by provincial employees has put the process on hold.

Five Year Plan

The Simplified Risk Analysis is a tool to help in developing a long-term budgeting plan for the fire crews. While DeBernardi recognizes the township is not being free with its money right now, he also says, "some of our apparatus is quite old. All the trucks still pass their mechanical and pump tests yearly, but they are requiring more and more maintenance as they reach 20 and 30 years old. We need to look at all these equipment issues as a unified service - and we are. There's not a lot of politics between the district crews right now."

Overall, DeBernardi seems to be enjoying the Director's job, and is quite enthusiastic about volunteer fire fighting and its role in the future of Central Frontenac. As the summer comes on and the risk of wildfires increase, he asks that everyone exercise caution and honour the burn bans that may come about as the ground dries. "There's a lot of debris that is still left from the ice storm, and that increases the risk of fire," he says, adding, "People who wonder if the burn ban is on should call 279-2935, ext. 441." The Frontenac News will also be tracking burn conditions, and will publish the burn status of the township each week throughout the summer.

With the participation of the Government of Canada