Heather Wright/The Independent

Lambton Shores has agreed to buy a new $1.2 million pumper/tanker truck for the Forest department. But the debate about how the fire service operates in the future appears to be far from over.

Councillors approved the recommendation of Fire Chief James Marshall to replace the aging unit at the department. But that didn’t deal with the long-term economic pressure the municipality faces to replace aging equipment. If all five halls are maintained, the municipality will have to invest over $1 million a year for the next 25 years to replace vehicles, the chief said.

Marshall’s report to council July 29 raised the idea of closing the Northville hall and turning it into a decontamination centre. That angered residents.

David Pugh told councillors Sept. 9 closing fire halls is not a good idea for safety reasons and since insurance rates rise the further you live from a fire hall. “That means families and businesses will pay more and receive less protection, and ultimately, these decisions risk not only money and trust but lives. Our community continues to grow, and so should our protection.”

But Councillor Jeff Wilcox who represents the Thedford area, is concerned about the bottom line. “It’s about the financial sustainability of the fire service,” he said, and then turned to the room filled with firefighters and their supporters and expressed his gratitude for their service.

That’s when the crowd started to speak up, prompting Mayor Doug Cook to remind people this was not a public meeting.

“We’re under extreme stresses in fire service with the cost of not only equipment, but operations going up,” Wilcox added saying cost have almost doubled in nine years.

“At the current rate of increase of cost of fire, we’re going to have to do substantial increases in tax rate, unless we look at the service as a whole to get the best bang for our buck. We’re not talking about closing anything, but we need an independent review from a third party to make sure we’re getting the best value.” The CAO’s report also suggested a third-party review.

Several people in the audience responded, prompting the mayor to threaten to close down the meeting.

Cook didn’t know if a full review was needed, adding council didn’t have to discuss the possibility of restructuring now. “Just be careful that you’re going to open up a can of worms right now, Councilor Wilcox, because we know we have a budget going forward. We know what its cost is,” Cook said.

Deputy Mayor Dan Sageman says council has “no desire to reduce the level of emergency services… We do not want to put human lives in danger. None of us are monsters.” Sagemen supported a third party review saying Lambton Shores may have to “rearrange” fire services.

In the end, council did not vote on the idea of a third-party review Sept. 9. Mayor Cook said that could be brought up at a later date.

Council did approve the purchase of the pumper/tanker replacing the equipment at the Forest hall. It will be delivered by the manufacturer in 2026.