Village of Cremona council has approved a new fire services agreement with Mountain View County. The move came by way of motion at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting held in the United Church.
Council had approved the agreement in principle in August, and Mountain View County council approved it on Sept. 28.
The agreement comes under the Intermunicipal Collaboration Master Framework Agreement between the two municipalities.
Under the agreement, the village contributes 20 per cent of the cost of small capital and operating of the department, which covers a large area in and around the village known as the Cremona Rural Fire Protection Area (CRFPA).
Regarding fire services, the agreement states, in part, that providing fire coverage will “include attendance by fire service firefighting equipment when requested and when such attendance is, in the fire chief’s or their designate's opinion, justified by the circumstances to control or extinguish fires, or handle or participate in the handling of any other hazard, or emergency of a type normally handled by the fire department or requiring their participation in its handling.”
Under the agreement, the village and county agree that in the event of two fires or occurrences happening at or near the same time in either of the municipalities, the fire chief or designate shall decided how resources will be deployed.
As well, the fire chief or designate shall have the authority, in any circumstance deemed necessary, to call upon mutual aid resources, to respond to an emergency in the CRFPA.
"The village and county agree that fire services will be provided with oversight by the intermunicipal cooperation committee with the mandate as set out in this agreement," the agreement states.
"The committee shall continue for as long as this agreement is in effect.
“Any recommendation of the committee shall require the approval of the councils of each municipality. This includes any recommended level of fire service and approval of any budget for fire services in the CRFPA."
The county will provide coverage under the Workers' Compensation Act for the fire chief and all firefighters and this cost shall be part of the fixed operating costs of the Cremona Fire Department.
Revenues from third parties received by the county as payment for responses by the department to incidents in the village will go to the village, and to the county for responses in the county.
The county will be responsible for the administration of dispatch services.
“The county will invoice the village for their respective costs associated with dispatch services. Both the county's and the village’s respective costs shall be excluded from the Cremona and District Emergency Services operating budget,” the agreement states.
The Cremona fire hall is owned by the Village of Cremona and the Water Valley fire hall is owned by Mountain View County.
The complete agreement is available for viewing on the village’s website.
