Minor changes only to joint Addington Highlands-North Frontenacfire agreement

Craig Bakay | Feb 05, 2020

In the early ’70s, there was no fire protection in Barrie Township. Around 1972, Barrie purchased fire protection.

In 1990 the Fire Marshall’s office conducted a survey and a new department, the Kaladar-Barrie Fire Department was formed.

In 1998, municipal amalgamations took place but the Kaladar-Barrie Fire Department remained the same.

This past year, Loomex Training and Consulting conducted a North Frontenac Fire Review, an independent study on the level of fire service in Ward 1, as compared to Wards 2 and 3.

Last Friday, the Council of Addington Highlands met with their counterparts in North Frontenac in Plevna to discuss the results and recommendations of the study.

The study concluded that the level of service in the three North Frontenac Wards is very similar in the way they respond, the training standards, the challenge of recruitment and retention, the infrastructure and the daily operations.

“There is a difference, however, in how the departments are being managed, as well as differences in public education, fire prevention and inspections,” the report concluded.

As such, the report gave five recommendations as well as five service level options to be considered.

At the end of the day, however, things stayed pretty much status quo as both Councils passed identical resolutions.

About the only things changing are that Kaladar-Barrie Chief Casey Cuddy will present the Ward 1 budget to both Councils and a financial audit to ensure that the current 50/50 cost sharing is correct will be “discussed at the next Joint Fire Committee meeting.”

Both Councils agreed that the level of service has been working for some time now and took a don’t-fix-what-isn’t-broke attitude.

“The arrangements have been in place for four decades now and I’m not hearing people complaining about the service they’re getting at a car accident or house fire,” said Addington Highlands Dep. Mayor Tony Fritsch.

“I don’t think the service in Ward 1 is different than in Ward 2 or 3,” said North Frontenac Coun. Fred Perry.

When it was suggested that it might be an option for North Frontenac to simply purchase protection from its neighbour, Addington Highlands Reeve Henry quickly put an end to the idea by saying that while his Township might be able to afford half a pumper, the entire truck was essentially out of the question.

He also worried that without Ward 1 residents, they might have trouble fielding enough recruits for a fire department, especially when they’d still have to cover Highways 41 and 7.