Norman Wells Fire Department presents long list of concerns to council
Solutions for faulty truck, equipment disappearing from fire hall and training requirements requested
Chris Puglia
Northern News Services
Published Friday, October 11, 2013
LLI GOLINE/NORMAN WELLS
The Norman Wells fire chief has asked town council to address longstanding issues the fire department is dealing with – ranging from a faulty truck, needs for improved certification and equipment disappearing from the fire hall.
Norman Wells volunteer firefighters Richard Lalsingh, left, Jean-Paul Michaud, Robin Doctor and Angela Keats take a break from training on Oct. 7. - photo courtesy of Camille Lebel
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Yohan Savoie, who took over the chief's position in March, went to council's regular meeting on Oct. 8 to present the department's first quarterly report, an initiative he said is part of the department's attempt to improve dialogue with the municipal government.
Aside from reporting the department's activities since he took over leadership, he also raised a number of issues he said have persisted over the years.
On top of the list of concerns was a faulty seal in one of the department's pumper trucks.
“Pumper two is leaking significantly out of the pump. We can't draft with it anymore,” said Savoie, adding the leak has been a problem for a few years. “It was brought to the previous chief, but nothing was done.”
The chief said repairs to the truck would cost between $20,000 and $30,000.
“I don't have it in my budget to fix this truck,” said Savoie, adding the seal has to be changed and re-certified.
Council agreed the work needs to be completed and accepted a suggestion to speak with the truck's manufacturer about costs.
Access to the fire hall was another major concern in the report. Savoie said the security code to the hall's door has been the same for almost a decade. Despite previous requests to have the code changed, Savoie said it has yet to be done.
As a result, Savoie said equipment such as power drills and brushes for washing the trucks have gone missing. Most concerning is the fact the compressor used to fill firefighters' air bottles is being turned off, leaving too little pressure to refill them.
Acting senior administrative officer Lindsey Blake said it was the first he had heard of the issue and would look into changing the pass code on the door.
Councillor Philip Bailey also suggested the code be changed on a regular basis.
Recertification of the department's air bottles was also on the to-do list. Savoie said recertification needs to be done every three years and is presently past due. At a cost of between $18,000 and $20,000, Savoie suggested council consider it a regular budgetary item each year certification expires. Council, which is presently planning the budget, agreed to discuss needed funds with the department.
Savoie also addressed the need for more training. He said the department is currently only certified defensively, meaning firefighters are not able to enter buildings and offensive training is needed.
He also indicated a need for more equipment such as a thermal imager and gear to outfit 20 firefighters – there are presently 15 volunteers.
Overall, however, Savoie said the department is strong, with dedicated volunteers.
“The dynamic of the fire department has changed a lot in the last six months,” he said. “People are having fun there again.”
