DIDSBURY -- At the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, Didsbury councillors approved a number of updated policies and procedures related to the Didsbury Fire Department (DFD). The approvals came by way of motion.
The policies are split into three parts: policies, which included various job descriptions; standard operating procedures (SOP), which cover areas such as kit and clothing, officer safety and patrol vehicle operations; and flagging standard operating procedures.
After the motion passed, every member of council commended Deron Reimer, fire chief and manager of protective services, for his work in putting together the policies and procedures.
Coun. John Baswick said that it was "very comprehensive," while Coun. Curt Engel said it was "a lot of work done in a short time. Thank you."
Reimer told council that it was indeed a long process but all the firefighters were able to have their say during the development process.
"They all had input," said Reimer. "We generated forms and brought them to the fire department. We had everyone together at a business meeting and we went through them all. We changed them to make sure they all worked. So everyone played a part in this, not just me. I have a good team."
Didsbury mayor Rhonda Hunter told the Gazette that the creation and implementation of the policies are part of an ongoing task that Reimer has had "on his plate" since the DFD's safety audit, which took place last fall.
"Council was very glad to see that policy and procedure and SOP creation and updates are ongoing with the department, which we had no doubt would happen," said Hunter.
The only resident to speak during question period was Kathleen Windsor, who told about her experience with the Miki Town exchange students. The students came from Didsbury's sister town in Japan for a short visit.
"They definitely had a good time," Windsor told councillors. "We sat around and talked about our two cultures. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn. It was a blast. They were wonderful."
