Cobourg Fire Department challenged by increased calls

30-10-24 11:59 a.m.

COBOURG

The cost of keeping up with increased calls for fire service was on the agenda at Tuesday's meeting of Cobourg council's Community Services, Protection and Economic Development standing committee.

Firefighters' work of keeping the community safe means dealing with sharply rising calls for service.

The budget to provide this service was reviewed Wednesday for Cobourg council's Community Services, Protection and Economic Development standing committee, with a presentation by Deputy Chief Kevin Ashfield.

Ashfield provided numbers on the increasing calls for service.

The 1,409 calls in 2022 grew 35% to 1,914 calls in 2023. As for 2024, there have been 1,652 calls as of Oct. 24 (or about 5.54 a day on average), with an estimate that year-end will find 2.023 calls having been received.

Reason enough to request a new full-time firefighter, he said. Currently, more than 70% of the time, they respond with only three firefighters on a vehicle, which delays the extinguishing of fires.

Ashfield has high hopes for the new First Due End-to-End Fire Operations software that assists with inspections, training and scheduling in ways that reduce staff time and streamlines communications. It will also allow them to eliminate other software currently in use. The $40,000 annual cost will be offset this year by $12,000 in savings from such eliminations.

Four new sets of bunker gear will allow a second set for every firefighter, for when the old set needs to be cleaned or repaired, as well as comply with regulations regarding the useful life of bunker gear already on hand – a $13,000 item that is covered by the Fire Vehicle and Small Equipment Reserve.

A Diesel Exhaust Capture apparatus worth $90,000 is a necessity to capture diesel exhaust with this substance identified as a cancer risk.

“Firefighters die of cancer at a rate 68% higher than the general public,” Ashfield noted.

This is a $100,000 item, he said, but they've applied for a $10,000 provincial grant to help with the cost.

They replace five lengths of hose a year to ensure best performance, with the $7,000 cost covered by the Fire Vehicle and Small Equipment Reserve.

Also covered by this reserve – a new pick-up truck for $75,000 will replace a 2011 model (four years past its useful life) for inspections, investigations, training and emergency response.

Ongoing leaking issues at the station will require a $45,000 roof repair.

And one of the big items is $500,000 for a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus to replace the one that is now beyond its useful life. The newer units come with exceptional improvements, like holding more air to provide a reserve, thermal imaging to help detect victims or trapped firefighters in smoky conditions, and voice amplification for improved communications.

The committee voted to accept the report and refer it to council's Nov. 26 budget meeting.