CORNER BROOK, N.L. — The Corner Brook Fire Department now has a clearer idea of how it is to handle emergency calls that come in from outside its jurisdiction.
The city approved a revised out-of-jurisdiction policy for the department during the public meeting of city council Monday evening.
Under the new policy, the department will only respond outside the city if there is a prior service agreement with the requesting jurisdiction, or if there is an immediate threat to life or a consequential threat to the city itself.
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Any response must not impede the department’s readiness to respond to emergencies within the city.
The old policy that has now been rescinded was vaguer than the newer one, stating the department would respond based on its capabilities or extenuating circumstances at the time of the incident.
“This is about formalizing when we will and won’t go, rather than just winging it every time,” said Mayor Jim Parsons. “We wanted to make sure we are providing our staff with direction that is clear and is compassionate to the needs of the region, but at the same time serving our own citizens first and foremost.”
All costs incurred by the city for deployment of the Corner Brook Fire Department outside its municipal boundary are to be paid by the entity requesting or incurring the department’s services.
Parsons said the new policy should open the door for neighbouring municipalities and non-incorporated areas to enter into service agreements with the city to ensure they have coverage in the event of any emergency.
In 2015, the city took a stance on responding outside its jurisdiction after losing one of its pumper trucks. Two months after that decision, the city department had to refuse a request to respond to a burning home in nearby Pinchgut Lake because there was no agreement with the area for service.
There are exceptions to when outside entities are expected to cover the costs incurred. For instance, the Corner Brook Fire Department is the base for the hazardous materials response team that services the region and the city’s aerial ladder is also considered a regional piece of equipment when its service is required.
Those costs are covered by agreements the city has with the provincial government.
