Report requested

West Hants CAO to investigate fire services coordinator position for county

West Hants council unanimously agreed to ask the municipality’s CAO to investigate creating a fire services coordinator position for the county.

Martin Laycock, the chief administrative officer for West Hants, said in an interview following the June 12 council meeting that he will have a few months to investigate what that position would look like, and how much it would cost.

The idea came about following a fire advisory committee meeting on May 15, 2018.

“We had three fire service coordinators — three of the nine in the province — come and present to council about what the role of the fire service coordinator is, what they do, what they can help ( with), some of the struggles they face, some of the benefits that they have; things like that,” said Laycock.

“It was a very insightful conversation and from that council decided that they wanted the CAO to investigate it further.”

Laycock said he’ll work on getting a report ready for the fall.

“Really, we can’t do anything until next budget year anyway,” he said, indicating he’s aiming to have the report and recom- mendation ready for September.

“Council would have to know whether they’re going to move forward on this by January or February. I would have a recommendation long before then.”

In other fire services news, West Hants council also instructed staff to prepare an information report on the existing Hantsport Fire Department and West Hants public works building in Hantsport. Earlier this year, Hantsport’s deputy chief described to council the unsafe conditions that firefighters are working in and lobbied to have plans started for a new station. Coun. Jennifer Daniels later pitched the idea of building a new facility that could house both the fire hall and West Hants’ public works employees as the existing public works building also needs considerable maintenance.