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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFD-25-99 ~ ~ " ..~,- THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON REPORT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION CO~TTEE ~/ 1.- File # ro 6t-:' DECEMBER 6, 1999 Res. t/CI/f/j'?tJ-?? Date: Report #: FD-25-99 10.12.6 By-law # Subject: INTEGRATED/SHARED TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR GTA FIREFIGHTERS RECOMMENDATIONS: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council. 1.). THAT report FD-25-99 be received; and 2.) THAT the GTA Mayor and Regional Chairs be advised that the Municipality of Clarington does not support a joint training facility for the GTA. BACKGROUND At the meeting of November 8, 1999, Council received an item of correspondence from Mayor Hazel McCallion, Chair ofthe GT A Mayors and Regional Chairs. The correspondence related to the feasibility of a joint training facility and/or program for the GT A fire service. In reviewing this issue, I referred to a report received from Fire Chief Garry Morden of the Mississauga Fire Department. This report was based on surveys sent to the various emergency services in the GT A including Clarington Fire Department. This report not only looked at a joint fire service training facility but also looked at an integrated facility for fire, ambulance and police. The study showed that although there are some common areas all agencies share, the training is very diverse. Unlike police officers and ambulance attendants, firefigfhters remain on duty or on call, while engaged in training, in order to maintain service levels. It would require a substantial increase in operating budgets to change this operating practise and maintain service levels. Continued.. ... 901 ~-. FD-25-99 -2- Police officers and ambulance attendants receive training according to a standard curriculum delivered at the Ontario Police College, community colleges or base hospitals. Fire departments are responsible independently for training and have a great deal of autonomy in delivering the curriculum to their staff. Training needs, equipment and procedures are diverse and vary from one municipality to another. Community college will become a viable alternative to the training of new recruits by individual fire departments. In time, firefighters will be fully certified when hired, as is presently the case for ambulance paramedics. Durham College currently offers a firefighter course. Apart from basic classrooms, there are limited overlaps in the specialized training facilities required by police, ambulance and fire departments. Training needs are anticipated to grow due to: . Growth in the communities being served . The loss of experienced service providers through early retirement incentives; and . The continuing advances in the technologies used by emergency providers. While new recruit training will increase, the greatest need for training will continue to be in the area of in-service training, which maintains and enhances the skills of assigned crews and personnel. Volunteer firefighters present a unique challenge to training at a central facility. Although there appears to be demand, their schedule dictates that access be available during evenings and weekends, otherwise significant compensation is required for volunteers to attend daytime training sessions. (They all have full time jobs elsewhere). A GTA wide facility, meeting the needs of all emergency service personnel, would have to be an extremely large complex in order to meet the needs of the municipalities in the long term. There would be a limited advantage between police, ambulance and fire due to the lack of common facility needs. Chief Morden's report also noted that for fire, centralized recruit training, as is currently the practise for police and ambulance, may yield some benefits, however, it would not address the majority of training needs departments have for maintaining the skill levels of their existing employees. It was recommended in the report that a GTA wide facility for the services not be pursued. Continued.. _.. 902 . FD-25-99 - 3- COMMENTS To look at this in a local vein, I would provide the following comments. Sending our full time staff to ajoint fire facility would involve taking a crew out of service, as well as a vehicle. Crews should train together and on their own equipment. In order to replace the crew that was away training, another crew would have to be brought in on overtime. Reducing the established level of service could result in a liability issue. In order to send the part-time firefighters to a joint training facility, a vehicle would have to be removed from service and a time suitable to the majority of the firefighters would have to be found. Presently, training for part-time firefighters takes place in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate their full time jobs. Sending the part-time firefighters away to train would also necessitate calling in a stand-by crew, from another station, to cover the affected area. Specialized training such as incident command, fire prevention and department management is conducted through the Ontario Fire College under the direction of the Office of the Fire Marshal. These courses are being considered for regional schools. Regional schools involve fire departments providing the space and basically hosting a certain course. The Office of the Fire Marshal provides the instructors. A few years ago, Clarington Fire Department hosted a Fire Cause Determination Course and is looking at hosting another in the near future. These specialized courses do not require a crew to train together and allows for the departments to send individuals as manpower permits. Durham College is presently offering a fire department recruits certification course. They have worked with the Office of the Fire Marshal to ensure it meets the needs of the departments for recruit training and fire departments are looking favourably on applicants who have completed such a course. At present, the five lakeshore departments are working towards some joint training ventures such as the Flashover Unit, previously approved by Council, as well as regional schools. A facility, which would allow for the provision of live fire training in the Region would be helpful. Currently, Clarington Fire Department makes arrangements to use the Ontario Hydro Wesleyville site for this purpose. Other training is conducted in house at the fire stations. It is staff s understanding that consideration is being given to building a co-operative training facility at the Durham College site. There appears to be, at present, a substantial amount of interest in such a facility. Continued.. ... 903 . . . FD-25-99 -4- An example of an emergency training facility co-operative is the Kitchener Emergency Services Training Institute that was developed in partnership with local colleges, emergency services and private industry. Oakville is currently building the same type oftraining facility, which is being developed with corporate sponsorship and shared principles. Brockville has developed a training facility in partnership with private industry. At this time, staff does not feel a GT A wide facility would be beneficial due to the need to remove staff from service to attend such a facility. If some form of joint facility was to be considered, a regional facility may be more viable. It could be facilitated by the local departments making sure the programs and hours of operation are conducive to local needs. Durham Region has a distinct mix of needs on its' own with one full time department, four composite departments and three volunteer departments within its' borders. A facility utilized by the eight departments could to address their concerns. A GTA wide facility would not, in staff's opinion, be able to deal with the magnitude of numbers and diversities of need. In conversation with other municipal staff in Durham Region, there seems to be a consensus that a regional training school is the better route to take along with a co-operative effort with Durham College. You have everything in the GTA from major city departments with their subways and high rise buildings, industries, etc. to small volunteer departments with wild fires, bams and major open spaces to deal with. Localized facilities, able to deal with the departments' diverse needs and demands, would be a more effective solution. RECOMMENDATIONS It is respectfully recommended that Report Fd-25-99 be received; and That the GT A Mayors and Chairs be advised that the Municipality of Clarington does not support a joint training facility for the GTA. Respectfully submitted, Reviewed by, C)r~~~ Franklin Wu, Chief Administrative Officer. 904