Bryson, Calumet Island, Campbell’s Bay and Litchfield municipalities will benefit from a shared fire service agreement as of July 1, the four municipalities announced in a joint press release on June 11.

With the new agreement, firefighters from all four municipalities will operate as a single department, administered by the Municipality of Campbell’s Bay.

“All firefighters from the four municipalities will be dispatched at the same time,” said Campbell’s Bay director general Sarah Bertrand. “It’s like one big fire department now.”

The Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield Fire Department has been responding to structure fires in Bryson and Calumet Island in an unofficial manner since 2011, when local fire departments were subjected to new minimum requirements that the Bryson and Calumet Island departments were not able to meet.

A 2012 merger between the Bryson and Calumet Island departments was not enough to help those municipalities meet the required number of firefighters to achieve a strike force, so Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield has remained responsible for structure fires on the territory ever since.

Under this lastest agreement, the Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield department will still be responsible for structure fires on the territory but can now benefit from the resources of the Bryson and Calumet departments, including fire trucks, firefighters and equipment, in responding to those fires.

Campbell’s Bay mayor Raymond Pilon said a shared budget will make it easier to pool resources, like the fire truck, as well as make new purchases for the department.

“When it comes to the decision to replace a truck, the money will be there [ . . . ] sharing this between four municipalities makes it a lot more affordable,” he said as an example.

While fire halls in Bryson and Calumet Island will continue to be used, those two municipalities will continue to respond to non-structural calls in their territory. “Power line down, bonfire in somebody’s backyard, we’ll each do our own,” said Kluke.

Additionally, firefighters from those halls will be dispatched from a single location, meaning response times are not affected.

“What’s happening now is a formalized, pre-planned service agreement, not just mutual assistance,” said Julien Gagnon, MRC Pontiac’s public security coordinator, in an email.

“This creates predictable staffing, ensures dispatch is streamlined, and clarifies financial and legal responsibilities. It’s a shift from, ‘We’ll help if you need us’ to ‘We’re your designated fire service.’”

Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield chief Kevin Kluke, who will act as chief of the shared service, said the agreement will boost firefighter numbers from around 25 to around 45, making it easier to meet service levels.

“Sometimes Bryson has two or three. Sometimes we don’t have our eight here. So by putting it together, we’re going to hit our eight 100 per cent of the time, and that’s the biggest problem,” he said.

Pilon said the agreement will also improve the department’s consistency, making sure all firefighters have the right training and that all equipment is inspected and up to snuff.

“Now, everybody’s working under their own municipality, but this will be one big team that is working and training together,” he said. “We will make sure all the equipment is up to par, and that the firefighters are up to par in their training also.”

The budget for the agreement will be shared between the four municipalities, with Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield and Bryson-Calumet Island departments splitting the cost down the middle.

Bryson mayor Alain Gagnon said although his municipality will contribute 20 per cent of the overall budget, he believes the service will be better for his residents because it will be able to meet provincial requirements.

“If there was a house fire, we were calling Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield automatically. During the weekdays, [when] people working are out of town, we don’t have the minimum eight, so you’re always calling your neighbours to help out. So this time with the four of us it will be a lot easier.”

Gagnon confirmed that Bryson has purchased a “new-to-them” fire truck, which will be ready for service within a few weeks.

Litchfield mayor Colleen Larivière said while her municipality pays slightly more than Campbell’s Bay into the agreement due in part to the larger size of its territory, it is still a good deal because it makes for a better service.

“It benefits us as much as them because it gives us the manpower we need, and the equipment, and vice-versa,” she said.

“I’m very pleased that we finally came to a consensus and we’re all on the same page, and I think it’s going to provide a better service for our residents.”

Public security coordinator Gagnon said shared fire service agreements like these are becoming more common due to more stringent requirements from the province, but also because they help municipalities to pool resources.

“No single municipality could afford a full-time fire chief on staff to ensure this management, but together this becomes possible and affordable,” he wrote.

“From a public security standpoint, [these agreements] simplify coordination, reduce liability, and improve training consistency across departments. They also promote better equipment sharing and long-term sustainability for the fire services involved, all the while not actually changing the service to the population.”