(Municipality of Yarmouth CAO Victoria Brooks and Jim Roper, president of the Fire service Association of Nova Scotia-CJLS News)
A committee of stakeholders will be formed to ensure fire departments, served by Yarmouth dispatchers, are prepared, no matter what takes place.
The Town of Yarmouth intends to eliminate the four full-time positions as a cost-cutting measure, seeking proposals from other providers.
Yarmouth dispatchers also serve several other fire departments in the region.
A meeting was held last night that included fire chiefs, members of the Yarmouth County Mutual Aid Association and EMO.
The president of the Fire Service Association of Nova Scotia was there.
Jim Roper, speaking with Acadia News today, says they are there to support what the requirements become for fire dispatch in this area.
“Anything we can do to help. we’ve done some work in the past on dispatch and we’re hoping that can be utilized moving forward on this issue. It will depend on how the situation pans out down here.”
He says a contingency plan may be developed.
“If the situation unfolds as the way I guess it’s seen as is going to happen down here, that they look to alternatives to find out who is going to do and where they’re going to do dispatching from.”
The information session was facilitated by the Municipality of Yarmouth.
CAO Victoria Brooks says council gave direction to staff to offer as much support as possible to the fire service.
“One of the take-ways last night was the development of dispatch standards that the association had developed. Input was received from dispatchers, fire service providers, EMO and the association on the development of that.”
Brooks, says area CAO’s recently developed what she refers to as draft development process.
” It’s to see if there was a possibility to come closer to middle ground in terms of making the business case be beneficial to everybody.”
Brooks says it’s her understanding that this is more about a business case than it is about any philosophical issues around dispatch.
Lake Vaughn Fire Chief George Emin told Acadia News this morning that there is still “very strong support among fire departments in the region” that fire dispatch be maintained at the Yarmouth Fire Department and that the town drops its plans to eliminate the four positions.”
He would not make any comment about what was discussed last night.
