The Dryden Fire Service says things are moving forward now that they are getting comfortable with a new service delivery model.
Council received an operational update Monday night and May 1st to August 8th statistics show response times have improved compared to this time last year.
Murrell says the rural response time with six firefighters on scene has dropped from 16:14 to 11:16.
The target is 14.0.
The urban response time with ten firefighters on scene fell about from 11:45 to 10:58, just shy of the ten minute goal.
Murrell says the turnout time for the first pumper responding is now at 236 seconds, compared to 368 seconds in 2017.
The target is 300 seconds.
Murrell says there is no set reason for the improved times, but notes it could be due to the close proximity of fires to the two fire halls.
Murrell also provided a staffing update, noting they are in a great place in terms of recruitment.
He says they currently have 11-volunteer firefighters at Hall 2 and 14 at Hall 1.
He stresses they have six firefighters ready to immediately serve once their paperwork is cleared and he anticipates a full complement of 42 members by September.
The Dryden Fire Service had a total of 55 firefighters in 2017.
The 2018 target was 36.
Murrell adds they have been working closely with the Ontario Fire Marshall and have put a heavy emphasis on property and building inspections.
Murrell says they are on track to have 75 quality inspections completed by the end of the year.
Right now they sit at 51.
Murrell says they are doing a good job meeting the mandatory and vulnerable building inspection requirements, noting the next plan is to tackle routine checks.
He notes they are focusing their checks on places where people sleep, hotels, and multi-unit buildings.
In terms of finances, the Dryden Fire Service is projecting a small deficit.
The latest financial update shows a year-end forecast budget of $813,228, $4,721 above initial projections.
The main reason is $11,685 in legal fees due to the firefighter lock-out earlier this year.
Murrell says he’s confident there are ways of cutting back before the end of the fiscal year.
To view the complete report, visit www.dryden.ca
You can hear more from Ryan Murrell by visiting the audio link below.
