Richmond County wants to provide input into proposed provincial legislation governing fire protection services.
Kim Masland, Minister of the Department of Emergency Management, wrote Richmond Municipal Council to provide one-year notice to all municipalities about the Act to Provide Support for Fire Protection Services.
Masland said all municipalities will be required to conduct a fire protection service review to ensure municipalities and fire service providers make evidence-based decisions about the services they provide to their community, municipalities will have to ensure that local firefighter competencies, training, and personal protective equipment meet the service standard required by the fire protection service review, and all units participate in a common records management system.
Noting that the requirements will not take effect this fiscal year, Masland said her team will be working closely with municipal and fire service partners to support the design and completion of fire service reviews beginning in 2027-2028 and to develop regulations and standards.
To establish the groundwork for fire service reviews, the minister said the first steps – to be completed this year – will be to design and roll-out an online risk-based assessment tool to gather information and facilitate decision making about fire protection service levels that are aligned with recommended training and asset requirements.
This tool will be provided free to all municipalities and fire service providers in Nova Scotia, Masland said, noting that training and support to use the tool will be provided by the province.
The tool and the fire protection service review are not separate requirements, Masland said. She noted that at this time, the province does not anticipate any significant expenses for municipalities by using the tool to inform fire service reviews which will be required in the next fiscal year.
At last night’s regular monthly meeting in Arichat, Deputy Warden Amanda Mombourquette noted that this could potentially be a huge investment of time by volunteers. With 2027-2028 not far that away, Mombourquette said “time is going to pass quickly,” and it’s unknown what kind of support the provincial government can provide.
Warden Lois Landry wrote a letter inviting the minister or her deputy to attend a meeting of the municipal fire services committee in September or October, with councillors to be invited as well.
