Council approves investments in Oshawa Fire Services to support the new Fire Master Plan
In support of the Fire Master Plan and ensuring community safety is our top priority, Oshawa City Council approved investments in Oshawa Fire Services at the May 25 regular City Council meeting.
Council has approved a $1.5 million investment to develop a fire training facility/tower. The modular training facility/tower is planned to be located temporarily at the South Field of the Oshawa Executive Airport until a permanent location is determined by Council. The investment will be funded with $1.125 million from the Fire Protection Development Charge Reserve and $375,000 from the Civic Property Development Reserve.
The development of a fire training facility/tower supports the recommendation in the Fire Master Plan along with developing a business case that includes additional revenue and partnership opportunities along with the development of a permanent training facility. The investment will also provide for a temporary location for Oshawa Fire Services to perform vital health and safety training in live fire training exercises, search & rescue, high-rise firefighting and various other firefighting disciplines.
Council has also approved the new position of Fire Prevention Inspector within Oshawa Fire Services. The Fire Master Plan identified the need to undertake a detailed workload analysis to determine if there is a need to hire a new Fire Prevention Inspector. A detailed workload analysis has determined the need for this new position in order to meet the inspection frequency targets for the various building occupations and to increase proactive inspections.
This new position will result in an increased capacity for Oshawa Fire Services (O.F.S.) public education initiatives as well as available inspection time for residential occupancies. The Fire Prevention Inspector duties will include: fire investigations, Fire Safety Plan reviews, and Fire Code enforcement, as well as work associated with inspections complaints and requests, open air burning, Residential Rental Housing Units and public education.
About the Fire Master Plan
During a Special Council Meeting on November 26, 2020, City Council endorsed and approved the 2020 Fire Master Plan and Community Risk Assessment along with implementing operational recommendations and strategies to reduce the existing dispatch time and turnout time components of the O.F.S. current total response time. This included a comprehensive review of the current alarm processing time for dispatchers to receive the emergency call and alert the firefighters along with improvements to decrease turnout times for the firefighters to receive the emergency call and respond.
The 2020 Fire Master Plan led by Fire Chief Derrick Clark and the Fire Services Senior Management team was informed by public input, legislation, industry best practices, Oshawa Fire Services and the Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association and serves as strategic direction for the City’s fire services for 10 years.
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Quotes:
“The safety of our community members and fire crews is a top priority,” says Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “This $1.5 million investment in a fire training facility provides for crucial fire safety training and creates partnership opportunities with other fire services, while the new position supports the delivery of public education and inspection programs across our city.”
“The addition of the fire services training facility/tower and the new position of Fire Prevention Inspector are two important steps in the delivery of the revised Fire Master Plan to continue to ensure the safety of our citizens,” said Councillor Rick Kerr, Chair, Community Services Committee.
“Training and prevention initiatives may not be as visible to the public as other parts of firefighting, but make no mistake: both go a long way in saving lives and property. These are vital increases in investments for the well-being of our growing city,” said Councillor Derek Giberson, Vice-Chair, Community Services Committee.
“Council has made a strong commitment to the 2020 Fire Master Plan and the Fire Training facility on the south field of Oshawa Airport will allow fire suppression units to keep their skills to a high caliber,” said Councillor John Gray, Chair, Finance Committee.
“The key to saving lives and exceptional firefighting is elite training. This is why it is so important to have a training facility that allows our firefighters to do their job to the highest standards. I am proud to say that the City of Oshawa is providing that important and needed facility. Our firefighters and our City deserve nothing less,” said Councillor Brian Nicholson, Vice-Chair, Finance Committee.