Out of Area Fire Dispatch

Written by Peter McIntyre Thursday, 05 August 2010 15:07

Fire dispatching for North Okanagan communities--other than Vernon--could soon come out of another area. The North Okanagan Regional District board has directed staff to work on a deal for dispatch from the Fraser Valley Regional District. NORD chairman Herman Halvorson (pictured) says the service will be reliable and will save taxpayers money. "The exact price tag I'm not one hundred percent sure, but it will be a saving for the participants which is everybody except Vernon. It will be a savings in the neighborhood of $43,000 plus (annually)" Halvorson is not worried about calls being botched by a service provided from another community. In talking with the (Enderby fire) chief, he wouldn't have a problem with going with the Fraser Valley. It's a dispatch service so not a problem." The dispatch is currently provided by the city of Vernon but Vernon director Wayne Lippert says NORD staff didn't present the city's case well. "I'm fine with them going out to another service provider but I was very disappointed in the process the regional district used." Lippert says NORD will have to spend extra money to duplicate Vernon's equipment, and the two services will have to work out how to deal with regional emergencies.