County debates future of its fire services
Cypress County council discussed several options at Tuesday’s meeting for how it was going to provide fire service for the hamlets of Dunmore and Desert Blume once the existing service agreement with the city ends in 2018.
Councillors’ views ranged from purchasing a building and converting it to serve as a fire hall in Dunmore, to the use of existing county buildings, to opening up discussions with the city on some sort of more limited fire aid agreement.
Couns. Dan Hamilton, Art Squire and Alf Belyea spoke in favour of making do with the space the county already has in its own yard. However, a deeply considered option for several councillors was the purchase of an existing building in Dunmore to convert to a fire hall.
“I think cramming people into makeshift things is not a good way to start a new fire department,” said Coun. Ernest Mudie. “I think we can buy a building and make it as good or better as back here (in the county yard).”
Mudie went on to propose the purchase of the Outlaw Collision building as an option but acknowledged more research would have to be done to decide a final location.
Coun. Dustin Vossler agreed with Mudie, and felt purchasing an existing building, and converting it, was the best option on the table. Reeve Darcy Geigle and Coun. Garry Lentz also spoke in favour of making a purchase.
Coun. Richard Oster, on the other hand, was opposed to going ahead with any major purchase of this sort until fire chief Kelly Meyer has been able to do a more thorough analysis of the options.
“You guys are talking about spending over a million bucks as if it is nothing, and to me it’s a lot of money, and we don’t know where we're going (with our fire service plan) exactly. We don’t know what we need. That’s why we have a fire chief who is going to tell us where we’re going to go,” said Oster.
Coun. LeRay Pahl agreed with Oster, and was also not convinced setting up a fire hall in Dunmore would meet all the county’s needs, especially in regards to the hamlet of Desert Blume.
“I know nothing about fire equipment, fire buildings, and I would like to see our chief and deputy chief, and anybody else involved in this thing, come up with some recommendations that would make some sense ... I also don’t think the city is a done deal yet. I think we have to talk to the right people, and if we’ve got to play the game another year or two so be it, until we are in position to know where everybody wants to go.”
Pahl made a motion for the fire chief to come back with a comprehensive needs assessment. This carried by a vote of 6-3. Pahl then made a motion for council members to engage in further discussions with the city. This too carried by a vote of 8-1.