Firefighters’ union urges council not to give developers go-ahead

The head of the firefighters’ union is questioning why city council is considering allowing two developers to begin building homes in South Shepard, several kilometres from the nearest fire station.

Earlier this week, council chose not to make a decision on a request from Hopewell Residential and Melcor Developments to develop a 155-hectare area in the city’s deep southeast until after residential sprinkler systems and fire response times are studied.

But Mike Carter, president of the firefighters’ union, said with city bureaucrats recommending against allowing development in the unserviced area near several under-construction communities — and the fire department and the union stating it’s a bad idea — council should have simply said no.

“What I didn’t hear in the presentation was why this development is so critical,” said Carter, with the International Association of Firefighters, Local 255,

“We have 26 communities already funded and planned for. This is the 27th, and it isn’t planned for or funded. Why the pressure?”

Elected officials spent hours Tuesday grappling with a request that would pave the way for development in an area that lacks leading infrastructure, has not been identified as a priority growth area in the city’s budgets or plans and would add an estimated $7.5 million to annual operating costs at the city.

South Shepard falls outside of council’s seven-minute benchmark for emergency response services, with the nearest firehall 7.8 kilometres away in McKenzie Towne, and council tossed around the idea of using mandatory sprinklers to alleviate fire response concerns.

But Carter said sprinklers don’t replace a fire service and noted in addition to fighting fires, crews are often the first on scene for important medical calls.

“We’re an all-hazards service. We deal with everything from your cat in a tree to hazardous materials to fires,” Carter said.

“Medical first response is an important part of what we do and provide.”

Carter said already some new communities in Calgary’s far-flung suburbs aren’t getting the service levels they’re paying for through taxes and adding more communities to the mix would stretch the service even further.

At Tuesday’s meeting, city administration said giving the development the green light was premature and bureaucrats compared the situation to adding another grain elevator when a half-full elevator exists just across the tracks.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi also weighed in. “Sure you could have a sprinkler and avoid fire, but what happens if you have a heart attack? What happens if you’re the pizza delivery guy or gal going to that neighbourhood and you get in a car accident? You didn’t sign up for that,” Nenshi said.