Roberts Creek’s new fire chief wants to see the Sunshine Coast Regional District take a fresh look at an old idea
In his annual report to the SCRD Board, Rob Michael recommends they consider creating a single regional fire department.
Michael argues that could streamline the command structure and make it easier to share resources and coordinate training.
“The SCRD board should consider amalgamation of the SCRD fire departments into one regional fire department. This recommendation has been brought forward in previous annual reports, but should be reconsidered, especially with the level of training and responsibility required from our chief officers. There are also many other benefits, such as shared resources and utilization of staff members. Some of the responsibilities being asked of our volunteer fire fighters are quite time consuming. Alternatively, Roberts Creek could consider transitioning to a paid Fire Chief in the next few years.”
The SCRD governs the fire departments in Roberts Creek, Halfmoon Bay, Gibsons, and Egmont.
None of the other Fire Chiefs raised amalgamation in their annual reports, and the SCRD Board has not agreed at this point to take a formal look at the idea.
