HomeMy WebLinkAboutFD-7-88 -04 4
TOWN OF NEWCASTLE
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�i REPORT File # '
Res.
By-Law #
MEETING: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
DATE: MARCH 7, 1988
REPORT #: FD 7-88 FILE #: 10.12.6
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SU&JECT: G.P.A. RESOLUTION 755-87 REPORT ON SHARING OF FIRE SERVICES WITH
OSHAWA
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully recommended:
1.) THAT Fire Department Report 7-88 be received;
2.) THAT Oshawa Fire Protection Committee be thanked for
considering this matter; and
3.) THAT Fire Department staffing levels be referred to the
1988 current budget.
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BACKGROUND AND COMMENTS
Further to G.P.A. Resolution 755-87 and the Town of Newcastle delegation meeting
with the Oshawa Fire Protection Committee on November 10, 1987, staff would pro-
vide the following information.
At the above meeting, a Resolution was passed by the Oshawa Fire Protection Com-
mittee directing the Oshawa and Newcastle Fire Chiefs to meet, to identify and
discuss areas of coverage, acceptable response times, when coverage would be re-
quired, levels of service and any other pertinent information Oshawa would
require to assist in their report back to the Fire Protection Committee.
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Two meetings with the Oshawa Fire Chief and Deputy Chief were held with staff,
on November 12, 1987 and November 26, 1987, to provide the above information and
discuss Fire Department operations with respect to the City of Oshawa and the
Town of Newcastle. At the conclusion of these meetings, Fire Chief Hooper indi-
cated that he would be reporting back to his Committee in January, 1988.
Continued. . . . . . . . .
vf.
FD 7-88 - 2 -
A reply was received in the form of a letter directly to Mayor Winters, dated
January 22, 1988 from Oshawa Fire Chief Hooper (copy attached) . It was unknown
at the time of receipt of this letter if it was a reply only from Fire Chief
Hooper or if, in fact, this letter was the official response from the Oshawa
Fire Protection Committee.
Staff discussed this matter with Councillor McKnight, who on February 16, 1988
contacted Alderman Al Mason, the Chairman of Oshawa's Fire Protection Committee,
to make inquiries regarding the letter from Fire Chief Hooper. Staff would
quote Councillor McKnight as saying, "Alderman Mason stated that Fire Chief
Hooper's letter was endorsed by his Committee and formed the official reply to
Newcastle's delegation requesting the possibility of sharing fire services."
There is possibly one area in Chief Hooper's letter that requires an explana-
tion, with regard to the standard or level of service requested to be supplied.
In staff's initial discussions, Oshawa clearly indicated that firstly, they
would not provide a day time only response, as it is not compatible with their
department's operation, and secondly they would not consider a reduced level of
service, i.e. responding with only one fire vehicle into the Courtice area.
First and foremost, Oshawa had concern for the safety of their firefighters and
would not consider reducing vehicle numbers or manpower to provide a reduced
level of service to Courtice area.
Chief Hooper's letter concluded with a recommendation for manpower for the Cour-
tice Station indicating that 10 firefighters per shift times four shifts for 24
hour coverage would be required for Oshawa to provide manpower for the Courtice
area, and also an aerial truck would be needed to respond to high rise and town-
house complexes, churches, schools, etc.
Staff would recommend that Oshawa's Fire Protection Committee be thanked for
their consideration of this matter and that staffing levels for the Courtice
Station be referred to the 1988 Fire Department Current Budget.
Respectfully submitted, Recommended for presentation
to Committee,
a
ldridge„ �V wr6nc Kotseff,
F' e Chief. I Chief A inistrative Officer.
JA/sr
Encls.
March 1, 1988.
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THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF OSHAWA
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE: -- G. J. (GARY) HOOPER
433-1234 {;{y" t FIRE. CHIEF
HEADQUARTERS AND OFFICE
y 199 ADELAIDE AVENUE WEST
� �, u�•J')x W L1J 71311
TELEPHONE: 433-1237
•a RESIDENCE: 725-3134
FIRE DEPARTMENT
January 22, 1988
Mayor John Winters,
42 Temperance Street,
Bowmanville,Ontario,
L1C 3A6.
Dear Sir: Re: Sharing Fire Protection Services
With reference to Minutes of the Fire Protection and General Purpose Committee 1987/11/10,
and letter from Fire Chief Aldridge dated 1987/12/10:
Deputy Chief Hickey and myself have reviewed the request from Chief Aldridge outlining the
level of service the Oshawa Fire Department should consider in providing fire protection for
the Courtice urban area.
Due to the distances into the Courtice area, and the number of fire calls we are having in
Oshawa, it would not be feasible to dispatch Oshawa fire fighting vehicles outside the City of
Oshawa Boundaries. Our station on Harmony Road is the closest station to the Courtice
urban area and would have to travel approximately 2 km before it arrives at the boundary
line between Oshawa and Courtice.
In 1987, the Harmony Road station responded to 511 calls in its area and 20 of these calls
were overlap calls, i.e.,20 calls for this station had to be handled by one of our other stations.
To take on the added responsibility of the Courtice area would only increase the possibility of
overlap calls for our Harmony Road station and reduce the level of service to the City of
Oshawa.
The request from Chief Aldridge asked that we supply the same standard of service to the
Courtice area that we have in Oshawa. A residential response in Oshawa is two pumpers and
one rescue unit and if outside the hydrant area - one tanker. Supplying this level of service
for the Courtice area cannot be accomplished from the Oshawa Fire Department stations.
This could only be accomplished by manning the Courtice station on a full time basis. (i.e., 7
days a week-24 hours a day). The request for day time operation only is not compatible to the
operations of our department.
Cont.
IT IS YOU R DUTY TO r P r V F N T F I RE ;;
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The Oshawa Fire Department in manning the Courtice station would require additional staff
supplied by Newcastle to provide the following:
One Pumper(4 firefighters); One Emergency Truck W firefighters);
One Tanker(2 firefighters)
This total complement of firefighters and apparatus would not include an Aerial Truck which
is required in Oshawa for Hi-Rise,Townhouse Complexes,Churches,Schools etc.
If further information or explanation is required, please call me at the Oshawa Fire
Department,telephone 433-1237.
Yours very truly,
G.J. Hooper,
Fire Chief.
c.c.: Chief Administrator Larry Kotseff,
42 Temperance Street,
Bowmanville,Ontario,
L1C 3A6.
Alderman Al Mason
Terry Giles,Secretary,
Fire Protection&General Purposes Committee
GJH/mr
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