The Regional District of Nanaimo board has approved the automatic response agreement for District 69 fire departments, extending the pact for another five years.
The agreement has been in place since 2008 and has been modified with additional fire departments added. The goal is to ensure adequate resources are available to respond to structural fires within the region.
The latest automatic mutual aid agreement will be in effect from 2023 to 2028 and will now include the Deep Bay Improvement District Fire Department, bringing the total number of supporting departments to eight.
RDN staff presented the agreement to the board at its regular meeting April 9 for approval.
Electoral Area F (Coombs, Hilliers, Errington, Whiskey Creek, Meadowood) director Leanne Salter raised some concerns about the delay in getting the agreement approved. She feels when the agreement ended, the fire departments were not covered and unprotected.
But RDN staff explained while the agreement was not finalized in 2023, the fire departments were still covered under the previous agreement.
Salter also pointed out some ambiguity regarding the operating committee’s authority to amend the mutual aid agreement and wanted the agreement deferred until some of her concerns were clarified.
RDN CAO Doug Holmes indicated the board can make changes to the agreement if they want to, but it will create some complexity in the process as it would be required to go through all the other fire departments as well two municipal councils.
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“The matters that director Salter has raised create room probably for more clarity but I don’t think the agreement for example in having one section allowing the group to make changes, having another section require that all of the group agrees in writing, I don’t think that makes the agreement fail,” said Holmes. “I think that those are areas for improvement.”
Holmes added that there is a risk of the agreement being delayed even further as this would impact not only the RDN but other jurisdictions as well.
“With the agreement lapsing and the correction director Salter suggests about having it live beyond the date of expiry again would be a great change,” said Holmes. “What I am suggesting is that, unless there is something fatal in this agreement from the board’s perspective, that the board consider this agreement and that the improvements be dealt over time and brought back.”
The fire departments in District 69 have already endorsed the agreement.
The RDN board voted to extend the agreement for another five years. Salter was opposed.