By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: August 26, 2012 1:00 AM
A veteran politician says allegations levelled against the Vernon Fire Department can’t be ignored. Members of the Okanagan Landing Fire Department claim they were sidelined during the Aug. 14 grass fire at The Rise because a request for help from the Vernon hall was delayed. “Someone has to respond to this,” said Coun. Patrick Nicol. Nicol questions why Landing volunteers weren’t immediately paged to the fire in their traditional coverage area. “They know that area six ways to Sunday.” Coun. Juliette Cunningham defends the actions of the Vernon department, which responded to the fire first. “Our chief does not know the level of training each volunteer at the Landing hall has,” she said. “From what I witnessed, I know residents of The Rise believe the whole situation was handled well.” A majority of the Landing’s 28 volunteer members
say they will resign Jan. 31 instead of joining a single command
structure with the Vernon hall. City council recently decided not to renew a service contract with the Landing firefighters association. “My sense is they want to be respected for
capable and dedicated service,” said Nicol, who was one of three
councillors to oppose scrapping the contract. “Sometimes when you back people into a corner, they stand on principle and I respect people who stand on principle.” City officials stand by the new model and say public safety is paramount. “The Rise grass fire, and the subsequent fire one
week later near the Greater Vernon landfill, are both excellent
examples of multi-agency response to major incidents,” said Keith Green,
Vernon fire chief. “Mobilizing resources quickly and effectively,
responding under a single incident command structure, mitigating loss,
and ensuring public and firefighter safety are the priorities for
delivery of the fire service.” Cunningham defends voting for the new command model. “I have to make decisions based on practical issues. Moving forward with one chief makes sense,” she said. “There will be an opportunity for consistent training throughout the service, which includes the Landing.” Cunningham denies the model will lead to paid firefighters being stationed in the Landing. “This council today is committed to volunteers.” Cunningham hopes Landing volunteers will reconsider their resignations, but if they do leave, she isn’t concerned
about a lack of resources. “If we have to recruit new volunteers, we will do that. We also have volunteers with the main hall,” she said. A contingency plan based on numerous resignations will be presented to council Sept. 10.
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Firefighters provide valuable service By Editorial - Vernon Morning Star Published: August 26, 2012 1:00 AM
Everyone involved in extinguishing the Aug. 14 wild fire at The Rise should be proud of themselves.
Through team work, the stubborn blaze was brought under
control and no private property was lost. It could have been a far more
extreme outcome given the tinder-dry conditions and the wind wafting
off Okanagan Lake. The co-operation and professionalism among the
firefighters — from three departments and the B.C. Forest Service — is
exactly what residents have come to expect during an emergency. That’s why a behind-the-scenes dispute is disconcerting. The Okanagan Landing Fire Department claims its members
were left sitting at the hall while The Rise fire grew because they had
not received an immediate request for help from Vernon. One could suggest these allegations are an attempt to
gain public sympathy after the Landing firefighters lost their contract
with the city to provide services. However, the allegations are serious and need to be
addressed by the City of Vernon. The Rise is within the Landing’s
traditional coverage area so why weren’t those firefighters dispatched
immediately? And the results of any review need to be made public to
ensure transparency and openness. The bottom line, though, is that while politics flare
in the background, Vernon residents should have complete confidence in
the service they are receiving. Firefighters — whether volunteer or career — are here to serve and when facing smoke and flames, they have a common goal.
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