The City of Flin Flon will review its mutual-aid arrangements with neighbouring fire departments, a process that includes determining whether current agreements are written or verbal.
Coun. Leslie Beck says council has struck an emergency-planning committee whose duties will include looking at devising written mutual-aid agreements.
Beck said that when she looked into the matter in 2007, there were no written agreements, but Mayor Cal Huntley said he was of the understanding the agreements had in fact been put to paper.
If it is found that no written agreements exist, Huntley agreed that should change.
Whether current agreements are written or verbal, Chief Administrative Officer Mark Kolt
said mutual aid has worked well.
“Certainly you would not describe the relationship as being broke when it comes to that,” he said. “Mutual aid has been very strong.”
Last month, Creighton town council reviewed a proposed written mutual-aid agreement between the Creighton and Hudbay fire departments.
Town administrator Paula Muench said there had long been a verbal mutual-aid agreement between the two departments, but nothing was on paper.
“We agree to help and support one another when confronted with a major emergency that we cannot handle by ourselves,” read the proposed agreement, signed by Creighton Fire Chief Rob Larocque and Hudbay Fire Chief Ron Mendro. “We also agree to provide direct assistance by responding to an emergency when requested and back up protection in the event that a second emergency should arise.
“All mutual aid shall be considered as practice by the Fire Department providing the mutual aid. No costs shall be incurred by the party requesting the Mutual aid or the other party.”
Back in Flin Flon, Coun. Ken Pawlachuk commended firefighters for their efforts in dousing the May 20 blaze that gutted the Crepes N Grapes restaurant on Main Street.
“I thought it was handled very well,” he said.
The Crepes N Grapes blaze saw firefighters from Flin Flon and Hudbay working in tandem.
