Cost concerns have Dean Trumbley urging Falkland residents to oppose a proposed road rescue service.
The Electoral Area D director says he is not opposed to the needed service as "it saves lives," but argues the cost is too high for Falkland taxpayers, and that the province needs to "step up to the plate."
Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) has initiated alternative approval processes for Falkland, as well as the North Shuswap (Area F) and South Shuswap (Areas C and G) so that electors in each region can have their say on the establishment of road rescue services funded through taxation. Through the AAP, voter assent is provided unless 10 per cent of electors of each service area submit signed elector response forms voicing their opposition.
For Falkland, that 10 per cent amounts to 99 elector responses, 272 for the North Shuswap and 753 for the South Shuswap.
If approved, the cost of the service would be divided among properties of respective service areas. That means Falkland's 642 properties will be covering the same cost as the 7,000 in the South Shuswap.
According to the CSRD, the estimated cost for the first year of service would be $201.18 per home in Falkland. It would be $28.27 per home in Area F and $53.64 per home in Areas C and G. In its second year, the service would cost $66.84 per home in Falkland, $10.21 per home in Area F and $8.44 per home in Areas G and C.
CSRD community and protective services general manager Derek Sutherland delved into the details behind the costs for each service area at a June 4 public information meeting. He said the regional district is looking at about $80,000 in the first year, with $40,000 for operations and $40,000 for capital expenditures, including training.
"Year 1 costs are going to be most expensive because this is when we have to buy equipment, we have to train our firefighters…," said Sutherland, adding costs for the first year will be about double those of the second year, "because once the gear is purchased we just have to put it into a regular replacement cycle. As new firefighters come on we’ll need to train up individuals but we won’t have to train up a whole fire department again."
Providing some background behind the AAP and road rescue in the province, Sutherland said regional districts had viewed road rescue as a provincial responsibility.
"In absence of any provincial bodies providing this service, road rescue societies popped up over the years," said Sutherland. "In the Shuswap… we have two of those societies operating.
"The societies have found it difficult to continue operations with the funding that’s available, and we have a situation where we have dedicated society members putting on charity events, flipping burgers, doing community barbecues, so that they can then pay for the fuel in their trucks ot go out and help people on the road. Obviously that’s not a sustainable model."
Sutherland said it was the folding of a Falkland road rescue society in 2014 that prompted the CSRD to look into how the service is provided. The loss of the Falkland group led to City of Vernon Fire Rescue Services filling in the gap.
"But they let it be known right from the start that they only wanted that to be temporary," said Sutherland. "Well, we’re 11 years into that now and the City of Vernon is subsidizing this program… They’re not being well compensated for that but they’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do . But they did ask us to find alternative solutions in that area."
A similar situation occurs in the North Shuswap, where the Chase Fire Department responds to incidents requiring road rescue personnel. However, Sutherland said there have been situations involving fatal motor-vehicle incidents where the Chase Fire Department was not available to respond.
"Obviously that’s problematic – we don’t want to see anybody die because they didn’t get the care that they needed," said Sutherland. "However, it’s up to the residents to let us know if that’s something they want to pay for because realistically, the service is still seen as a provincial responsibility in the rural areas but there’s no provincial response, and it doesn’t seem like there will be one on the horizon."
The proposed road rescue services would be provided by fire departments within each service area. Sutherland said those fire departments are onboard with this, noting their firefighters already attending calls where the service may be needed but they are unable to assist in that capacity.
"The public has these expectations on firefighters, and when the firefighters tell them 'no, we can’t do that', and a person is waiting to be cut out of a vehicle, it’s hard on the firefighters and they want to help, but they’re not able to help because they’re not trained, they’re not equipped," said Sutherland. "That being said, in the protective service division we realize there’s severe mental health challenges that come from seeing people suffering. We’re seeing a little bit of that from firefighters who have had to watch and not be able to do anything, but we’ve put systems in place, processes in place to help manage those mental health effects."
Falkland, North and South Shuswap electors wanting to voice their opposition to the road rescue services have to 4 p.m. on Monday, June 30 to submit their response forms. They can be submitted by email to AAPrespsone@csrd.bc.ca or by post to Corporate Officer, Columbia Shuswap Regional District, 555 Harbourfront Drive NE, PO Box 978, Salmon Arm, V1E 4P1.
Trumbley said if Falkland's response is even close to the 10 per cent threshold, he will be speaking against the service at the CSRD board table.
"We are already well over half way there, so I am asking if you can please take some time… fill out the form and submit it to the supplied email or address," said Trumbley via social media.
