A West Kelowna councillor has words of warning for the provincial government as it puts together a new First Responder Service Agreement (FRSA).
There are 20 communities involved in the first phase of the initiative (started in late 2024) which will also create specific local Operational Response Plans (ORP).
The city is not part of the initial phase, however, at council91裸聊视频檚 Jan. 28 meeting Fire Chief Jason Brolund noted it may result in a service level for the community that would be different than it is currently.
91裸聊视频淎nd may see us go to a different subset of calls that are even more serious,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭he less serious ones may not see a response from the fire department and may fall back to the ambulance service.91裸聊视频�
All of B.C.91裸聊视频檚 professional fire fighters are licensed first responders. Many times, firefighters are able to respond more quickly to a medical call than paramedics.
91裸聊视频淎s our call volume increases it does take away from time that we need to spend training, doing fire prevention inspections in the community, or even us being available for fires91裸聊视频ur number one priority,91裸聊视频� Brolund pointed out.
He told council that first responder calls in West Kelowna have increased year over year, except during the pandemic.
Councillor Rick de Jong, acting mayor for the meeting, noted that the province manages the BC Ambulance Service.
91裸聊视频淚 do not want to sit here and say I support mandate creep and let them dump all this on us as a local community,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hey have a responsibility to make sure they are funding and providing ambulances to meet the needs of the community.91裸聊视频�
Brolund recommended bringing forward a report to council when the new FRSA is proposed to the city, in second half of 2025. The report would detail specific costs and allow the fire department to set its recommended level of service under an ORP.
In terms of advocacy from the province, funding for training and equipment from would be of the greatest impact to delivery of the program, Brolund added.
