WENTWORTH CREEK, N.S. — Residents living near the Forest Lakes development in Ardoise after Halloween night won’t notice any interruption in fire protection.
But they will see a different fire service provider should an emergency occur.
West Hants’ chief administrative officer Mark Phillips said Brooklyn Fire Department will be taking over coverage from the Uniacke and District Volunteer Fire Department effective Nov. 1.
“We’re very confident that when folks in that area call for service that they’ll get the same high level that they did from Uniacke,” said Phillips in a phone interview explaining the boundary change.
The Uniacke fire department, which was founded in 1948, has been providing contracted fire protection service to West Hants’ eastern rural area.
A 2019 regional fire services review by Goudreault Associates recommended West Hants discontinue its agreement with the Uniacke and District Volunteer Fire Department as it pertained to their response to the east Ardoise area.
“Analysis revealed that the travel-time to that area is virtually the same for both Brooklyn and for Uniacke. The additional complication, cost, and inefficiency of managing an additional fire service in that sparsely occupied area does not contribute measurably to potential outcomes,” the report noted.
The review used a map-based computer simulation program to determine travel times over the existing road networks.
In the spring, when West Hants Regional Municipality was setting its budget, it was announced that they were planning to sever ties with the Uniacke and District Volunteer Fire Department. That information was later relayed to the department.
“We have capacity, we have expertise, and we have the ability, basically, to cover our entire area. That’s the reason for the change,” said Phillips.
The CAO said since the regionalization of fire services in West Hants, which included the formation of a new fire substation in Three Mile Plains that Brooklyn manages, the municipality is well positioned to cover the entire region.
“This is not Brooklyn wanting to take over more territory,” said Phillips.
“This is the municipality identifying that we have resources and we now have the ability — where we might not have otherwise — and we can respond within the appropriate response time and folks should be confident moving forward that they’re still going to have the same level of fire protection that they did before.”
He said the time it takes for Brooklyn firefighters to reach the area is comparable to Uniacke’s response, give or take a minute or two.
“We have all of those travel times. Those are all in that study and all forecasted within the allowable… limits for response.”
Phillips said the decision is also financially beneficial for the municipality as they now have the in-house capability to cover the area.
According to West Hants’ 2019-2020 budget report, the expenses pertaining to the fire service agreement with Uniacke was $33,432 in 2018-2019.
Phillips said they’ve had two meetings with Uniacke firefighters and thanked them for their service. He’s optimistic there will still be a positive working relationship via mutual aid in the event of a large-scale event.
“We are very happy and have been happy with the service of the Uniacke fire department for our residents in that area, but it really essentially is working with the existing capacity that we have within the region.”
Until midnight Oct. 31, Uniacke is responsible for a portion of Hillsvale and Ardoise, including areas like Robert Drive, Discovery Crescent, and Coles Road, as well as a portion of South Rawdon Road and the old No. 1 highway.
Phillips said there are some roads that weave across boundary lines and the chiefs are ironing out an agreement to deal with those areas. That will be decided before the changeover.
On July 28, 2020, other boundary recommendations were adopted, including one that saw the Windsor Fire Department resume being the primary first responder for Falmouth.
The Municipality of East Hants also contracts Brooklyn Fire to cover off a section of South Rawdon.
The Uniacke and District Volunteer Fire Department declined to comment on this story, directing media inquiries to West Hants’ CAO. No response was received from Brooklyn regarding the boundary changes.
RELATED LINKS
- Windsor Fire resuming Falmouth coverage as West Hants modifies districts
- Comprehensive regional fire services review offers up 151 recommendations for Windsor, West Hants
- West Hants fire service ready to go as WFD scales back coverage area
- Fire services switch-over surreal to Windsor firefighters
- UPDATED: West Hants council severs ties with Windsor Fire Department
