September 21, 2011
What next? Townships
pull out of joint emergency service
by Vance Gutzman
Head, Clara and Maria is opting out. Again.
Hard on the heels of the townships' decision to withdraw from the area
economic economic development committee, and the Petawawa Research
Forest Visitors Centre (both of which have been shared services with
its neighbours), council has decided to also opt out of an emergency
service it shares with Deep River and Laurentian Hills.
Head, Clara and Maria, at its September 9 meeting, passed a resolution
terminating the municipality's involvement with the North Renfrew
Emergency Response Unit, effective December 31, which is the same date
its involvement with the Visitors Centre will end.
The North Renfrew Emergency Response Unit deals primarily with auto
extrication rescues within the boundaries of the three municipalities.
The most recent agreement, signed in March 2010, commits Deep River and
Laurentian Hills to contribute $2,500 apiece, each year, until 2013,
for costs associated with the vehicle and its equipment.
Head, Clara and Maria is obligated to pay $800 a year over that same
period of time, but the agreement does contain a clause stating that
any of the municipalities may opt out upon giving the other
municipalities 60 days notice of its intention of doing so.
Head, Clara and Maria clerk Melinda Reith took note of that clause in
her report to council for the September 9 meeting, and she also stated
in that report that Head, Clara and Maria is not obligated to provide
the service to the public, as the municipality has no fire department
and is not part of a mutual aid agreement with Laurentian Hills and
Deep River.
The September 9 resolution was moved by Councillor Dave Foote and
seconded by Councillor Jim Gibson.
It's unclear how, or if, the municipality's decision to opt out of the
auto extrication agreement will affect the response unit's coverage of
emergency situations in Head, Clara and Maria, especially along the
Highway 17 corridor, where several major vehicle accidents have
occurred in recent months.
The item may be coming up for discussion when the all three municipal
councils sit down for their quarterly tri-council meeting next
Thursday, September 29.
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