Fighting fire with paperwork

Times Contributor

 

Members of the Alberta Fire Commissioners office met with Wheatland Council and members of the Rural Firefighters Association, to provide suggestions that would list ways the County could work with the area’s Fire Associations to provide the best service possible, protect the volunteers, retain training and certification qualifications and reduce both partie’s liability.

The County currently has contracts with the various Fire Associations in the county, to provide citizens with legislated fire coverage.  No other services in Alberta utilize this type of arrangement. Commissioner West said there are several different kinds of arrangements the fire departments could enter into with the county, outlined in a report delivered to council, but if the Associations wanted to retain the existing system, they would need to upgrade their record keeping. 

“Very good documentation is needed,” said Deputy Fire Commissioner Spence Sample, a former lawyer. “That is something that you don’t have here now.”

He explained the service involves public safety issues for both the volunteers and the public.  It falls under various government acts with mandatory parameters complied with by law.  The Associations could not legally provide independent service to area residents. 

“The county is a family,” said Councillor Alice Booth. “If something happened, even one lost life would be devastating to everybody in the County.”

“Not just the county, the Country,” said Fire Commissioner West.

Revision of the documents needed to clearly define the contract of service by both parties, delineate the level of response and responsibility, and be measurable. If both the county and the associations didn’t do upgrades, both parties were opening themselves up to liability. In the past, the Associations relied on the Societies Act to protect them if something should go wrong. Deputy Commissioner Sample said that if the Society was not renewed each year, for whatever reason, it would not protect them. The Good Samaritan Act does not cover them either. The county, the association and each member’s personal property within the Association could be held liable. 

“Whether you respond to the call or not you are a part of that Association,” said Deputy Commissioner Sample.

He stated that in this type of arrangement, the county was responsible under various acts to account for money passed to the various departments. It was the reason Associations needed to comply with their requests for supportive documentation concerning these funds, as well. Council had previously asked all the Associations to provide paperwork supporting the dispersal of funds given to them by council. 

West encouraged both the County and the Associations to work with commitment and mutual desire to overcome the gaps that needed attention.  He promised that the Commissioner’s office would consult and assist in the process if asked by council. 

“This is not a fast process,” said Commissioner West, who anticipated it would take several years to complete the entire process.

The Associations also learned that if they wanted WCB coverage by the County, a yearly audit of each fire department needed to be done. Gerald Skibinsky, the County Fire Coordinator, said the departments could make improvements over a two-year process to pass the final independent audit that occurred in the third year. The first audit was due for submission June 30, 2012. Members felt they would not be able to comply with the audit guidelines in time. 

Council will forward the report to the various associations after they have reviewed it.  Further meetings with all the Associations will take place to formulate parameters for contracts and other necessary record keeping upgrades until both parties reach an agreed format.