MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Mountain View County council has agreement to new mutual agreement with Kneehill County and Red Deer County. The move came by way of motions at a recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
Emergency services mutual aid agreements among the two neighbouring municipalities have been in place since 2005 and are replaced by the new, updated agreements.
The agreements with Kneehill and Red Deer counties are essentially the same in wording and function.
“The mutual aid agreement provides the ability for either municipality, upon request, to provide services within the other municipality,” said Chris Atchison, director of legislative, community and agricultural services.
“The proposed agreement aligns with current practice that any services are provided on a pure mutual aid basis, meaning that internal costs would not be billed back, whereas any consumable costs such as firefighting form would be charged back at cost.”
The agreements also allow for community peace officers or municipal staff to be requested by either party in the event that additional assistance is required for response to any emergency situation, he said.
The agreement defines mutual aid as the provision of assistance by way of personnel or equipment, which may include firefighting/rescue equipment and personnel, community peace officers, municipal emergency management agency staff, municipal staff, and municipal equipment.
The agreement does not require a state of local emergency to be declared for mutual aid to be provided.
“Under the agreements senior fire officers of either party, or a senior fire officer from a partner agency, are hereby considered authorized officers for the purpose of requesting or responding to request for firefighting equipment, firefighting personnel or community peace officers in support of a fire suppression or rescue response.”
The agreement also includes provisions for cost recovery, indemnity and termination.
MVC recently also signed a mutual aid agreement with Rocky View County.
