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Orangeville Fire Service will retain autonomy

December 20, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Orangeville residents and businesses are well served by its fire department, but staff remain open to requests from other municipalities.

That’s the final word from town council about a recommended consolidation of fire services countywide.

“The county right now does not have a mandate to provide fire services,” said Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post.

Dufferin County has a number of different fire service delivery models. A consultant hired by the upper tier recommended the consolidation of those fire services.

Orangeville’s fire service benefits residents of Orangeville and those of Mono, Amaranth, and East Garafraxa through service contracts to deliver fire services to portions of the geographies within those township boundaries.

“Within the rest of the county, there are many iterations of how fire (service) is working and it’s very complicated in some areas,” Post said. “Some municipalities are being served by four or five different fire services.”

The county’s 2020 Service Delivery Review suggested alternative models of fire service be reviewed, particularly related to those governed by Fire Boards, to potentially change reporting structures and dissolve boards.

The upper tier council distributed in September a Multi-Jurisdictional Fire Prevention and Protection Modernization Plan Report to all municipalities and fire boards for consideration.

It recommended a single operational model for fire service, either through Orangeville or Dufferin County, and identified challenges with existing fire service boards that allegedly cause inconsistencies.

Some municipalities do not support a countywide model. Others have passed resolutions supporting a degree of geographical consolidation, potentially dissolving their Fire Boards. Others have taken a wait-and-see approach.

“We’re happy with the way fire (service) is working within our municipality,” Post said. “We don’t have necessarily any desire to change. It’s working well for us. We are willing to explore additional municipalities if they are interested in moving their fire service to be just with Orangeville.”

At this point, the town isn’t looking to change its model, she said.

The Orangeville Fire Service is the largest in the county and the most advanced with full-time coverage. It provides service to portions of neighbouring municipalities on a contract basis and participates in mutual aid agreements with other fire services to support each other during periods of high need.

“The cost of fire service is dramatically increasing and participating in a countywide service would have a negative impact on our local taxpayer while potentially also impacting our current service,” reads a report to council on the matter.

Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor said he has no idea why Orangeville would change its fire service model.

“If people are requiring help, and I mean that in the nicest way possible, we’d love to work with you,” he said. “But Orangeville Fire Department would still be autonomous.

“They’d make their decisions and those people that are joining us will pay their fair share, including capital costs. That’s just the way it needs to be.”

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