Heather Wright/The Independent

Petrolia Councillor Liz Welsh says it’s high time volunteer firefighters had a proper decontamination room at the Petrolia/North Enniskillen fire department.

And she, and town council, are looking into financing to build the enhanced washroom in 2025.

For years, the department’s leadership has been placing a washroom with showers into their budget only to have it turned down. This year, another $60,000 was set aside in the town’s budget, but Councillor Ross O’Hara said it was “just a pittance.”

Chief Rick Cousins agreed and says it’s time the municipalities see this as the health and safety issue that it is.

Cousins says under new fire regulations, firefighters have one hour to shower after being on scene. It’s a move to reduce cancer rates in firefighters.

“We can’t comply to that, and we do have four members that are off with one of the cancers that are recognized through the fire service,” Cousins told council. “And those numbers will only increase. So it is important.”

Since the department has been talking about the washroom project, the cost has risen from $38,000 to $268,000. Cousins says the decontamination room which will be required will be far more than that.

“You’re looking at a $2 million addition minimum to be compliant.”

Welsh and Deputy Mayor Joel Field voiced frustration with the situation. Field says Enniskillen township officials on the fire board have consistently voted against a new washroom facility.

“There’s not a town facility that we own, that we operate, that doesn’t have proper washrooms,” he said.

“We’re building washrooms for a soccer field. We’re building washrooms everywhere. This is getting ridiculous that we don’t have proper washrooms, proper showers, proper decontamination with our fire department… I understand that our neighbors, we work together and we partner together. But this is ridiculous that we do not have the proper washrooms for our firefighters.”

Welsh agreed.

“You couldn’t work at a plant without having a place to shower. They have places for their staff to shower when they’re working in unsafe conditions with biohazards,” Welsh said

“ I think it’s unreasonable for us to ask our fire department to put themselves in danger every single day and not provide the proper facilities for them to clean up. They should not be going home to shower.

“This shouldn’t wait, and this shouldn’t wait another year for us to make a decision on this. 

“This is kind of a non negotiable for me,” she said adding the town should take out a loan and come to an agreement with Enniskillen to pay their 40 per cent share over time.

Mayor Brad Loosley suggested he could meet with Enniskillen’s mayor to try to break the impasse or Petrolia council could request the fire board revisit the issue.

Councillor Bill Clark says that won’t happen.  

“This has already been going on for a number of years with no gains…

“This has been non negotiable within Enniskillen for a long period of time.”

Council asked staff to look at a loan with the goal of building a new facility in 2025.