Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 11/99) - The Yellowknife fire department will be trained and equipped to perform underwater and under ice rescues by the fall.

Contrary to a recommendation from one of its committees, council on Monday voted to instruct staff to begin working with the fire department to implement a dive rescue program.

The decision came after a plea for the service from NWT Chief Coroner Percy Kinney. He unrolled a body bag to illustrate his point to council.

"You can't see it, but that's got a name on it. It's the name of someone who died by drowning in two thousand and something and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery," said Kinney.

One by one, he answered and rejected concerns that have been raised about the liability, cost and responsibility for the rescue service.

"Legally, I think you're off the hook," said Kinney, noting the city is not even obliged to provide fire service. "Morally, I'm not so sure."

The fire department estimates it will cost $45,000 to establish and require an estimated $4,000 a year in ongoing operating costs.

A committee recommendation that the city not get involved in dive rescue was rejected by a close vote of 4-3.

"If $50,000 could possibly save a life between now and January 2000 it is money well spent," said Coun. Cheryl Best.

Voting down the recommendation left open the question of what the city would do about providing the service.

That question was addressed near the end of the meeting, when Coun. Cheryl Best, re-wording a motion initially made by Coun. Bob Brooks, suggested the city instruct administration to work with the fire department to implement a dive rescue program and seek funding to help pay for it from other levels of government.

"If we say we're going to do it, no other level of government is going to kick in," said Coun. Ben McDonald, who had argued earlier to reconsider the issue during debate of the year 2000 budget.

Responding to questions from council, city staffers reported that the fire department estimates it can have the service up and running by the end of October. Though the city's contingency fund -- which the money to pay for the program would be drawn from -- has a balance of $93,000, the finance department is projecting a $200,000 deficit because of money that will be needed to cover revenue shortfalls resulting from the Giant Mine bankruptcy.

It wasn't until near the end of the discussion that it was revealed Hay River and Iqaluit receive three quarters of the cost of operating underwater rescue programs from the federal government.

"Application (for federal search and rescue funding) has already been made and we're waiting for the results," said administrator Max Hall.

Council approved Best's motion by a vote of 6-1, with Near the lone holdout. <