Council approves Regina Fire's master plan
Regina city council unanimously approved Regina Fire & Protective Service’s (RFPS) fire master plan Wednesday.
RFPS said the master plan is a roadmap for decision making and a guide to position fire services as Regina grows.
“The fire master plan identifies the department’s future needs to help keep Regina residents safe,” Regina fire chief Layne Jackson said. “The fire master plan assesses present and future population statistics and anticipated growth by evaluating past and present service levels provided by RFPS, coupled with its service goals and expectations.”
This is a 25-year plan, broken up into five year phases, which can be expedited or slowed based on the landscape of the city.
The plan focuses on growth, community safety & wellbeing, diversity & inclusion and innovation.
GROWTH IN REGINA
In the growth section of the plan, the fire department will look at how the city has grown, both residentially and industrially, and the needs that need to be met.
Currently, firefighters respond to more than 9,000 calls for service each year, with that number expected to grow as the city does.
Jackson said he hopes the city will build a new fire hall in the southeast corner of Regina.
“(The plan) really did identify the southeast as some of the longest response times and seeing some of the most growth in the city,” Jackson added.
In the second phase, years five to 10, it looks at building another new hall in the Harbour Landing neighbourhood as it is another fast growing area.
Jackson said these decisions do need to be approved by council.
“You’re going to be in the neighbourhood of about $1.5 million for a new facility,” Kim Onrait, executive director of citizen services at the City of Regina, said.
Onrait added there will also be additional costs for equipment, fire trucks and staff.
INNOVATION, COMMUNITY SAFETY AND WELLBEING
The fire master plan also looks at how the department can improve fire response using technology, including the use of drones.
“Having a view from 1,000 feet above to see exactly what is going on with that large scale emergency is only going to benefit firefighter safety, first responder safety and public safety,” Jackson said.
He added identifying hot spots or highly flammable material in the area will allow firefighters to better navigate an emergency situation safely more effectively.
Regina Fire said it did just implement an electronic mapping system in all its stations.
The maps are updated with road closures and construction across the Regina by city employees.
“What it’s designed to do is to give the driver of the truck the best ability to get the information they need to get to the incidents as quickly as possible,” Gord Hewitt, deputy chief with Regina Fire, said.
The department is also looking at more environmentally friendly ways it can do its job effectively by using electric apparatuses and battery-operated tools.
“We are even in the process right now of changing some of our day-to-day practices,” Hewitt said. “When we talk about firefighting foam, we’ve moved over to a much more environmental sustainable product.”
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The inclusions and diversity section of the master plan outlines the foundation to build a more diverse, welcoming and inclusive workspace.
Regina Fire will be looking at its recruitment process and ongoing education programs.
The hope is to work with local schools and partners to encourage people to look at firefighting as a career and properly educate them on what schooling and programs they need to complete before applying.
RPFS intends to achieve a short term goal of increasing its applicant pool by 25 women, 13 Indigenous people and 13 more people from a visible minority group.
The plan also outlines cultural workshops for all employees to understand each other and how to approach certain situations in an appropriate matter.
Jackson said the master plan is a living document and can be changed, sped up or slowed down depending on the needs of the city over the next 25 years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.