Enniskillen wants out of the agreement to fund the Inwood Fire Department.
For the past few decades, Enniskillen has worked with three of its neighbours to make sure there is adequate fire protection. It has provided funding to the Petrolia/North Enniskillen Fire Department, the Oil Springs/Enniskillen Fire Department and Inwood, which is part of Brooke-Alvinston.
“We’re hoping this is a cost saving measure to go to two main fire departments,” says Mayor Kevin Marriott.
Enniskillen contributes about 10 per cent of the operating cost for the department, including any new equipment purchases.
But he and council feel it isn’t necessary anymore.
“A few years ago we were involved with four departments,” he says.
The township worked with Wyoming on a mutual aid agreement for the northern part of the township when pulled out of that department.
Marriott says the township studied how response times would be affected by pulling out of the Inwood Department. “There is only a little bit of difference,” he says. “We’re talking seconds really.”
Enniskillen recently contributed 10 per cent of Inwood’s new fire vehicle and Marriott says the township could seek some of that money back. Instead, it would like to have a mutual aid agreement where Inwood would automatically respond to fires in the area along with Oil Springs or Petrolia.
Brooke-Alvinston Mayor Don McGugan says his council is willing to work out a new agreement.
“The agreement we signed 20 years ago does give the option to withdraw; we’ve accepted their letter and will be negotiating a mutual aid agreement with them,” he says.
“It’s nothing unusual. Fire areas change as the dynamics of the rural community change.”
It will be 2019 before the deal is final.