Intermunicipal Fire Services Agreement

To answer questions about the sharing of fire services in Wentworth, Lachute, and Saint-André, the municipality is producing a document here to explain the various aspects of this agreement project and, more importantly, the reasons that led the municipality to consider an intermunicipal agreement.

Contents of the Intermunicipal Agreement

The intermunicipal agreement is currently under negotiation. The figures will be shared with the public as soon as they are finalized. However, we can already say that there will be significant financial gains for future equipment purchases, especially thanks to the optimization of resources with the City of Lachute and the other municipalities involved. One of our pumper trucks is at the end of its life and will need to be replaced in the coming years. This would result in an expense of approximately $1.2 million. With the merging of services, this truck becomes redundant, and we will not have to replace it. We could even sell the one we currently have. That's a major savings.

However, the financial aspect is not the council's motivation. The municipality's primary objective in fire safety is to ensure the greatest possible safety for our citizens.

Here are the key facts:

• The fire station, firefighters, and the equipment necessary for effective response will remain in Gore. THE SERVICE IS NOT DISAPPEARING.
• The headquarters is being transferred to Lachute, including the integration of the Gore fire chief into the headquarters. This will improve department management, as the headquarters is composed of several managers.
• Gore will benefit from the City of Lachute's internal guard. The internal guard in Lachute will be provided 16 hrs /24 hrs a day, by four firefighters based in the Lachute fire station. Firefighters based in the fire station can mobilize within 90 seconds.
• Mutual assistance agreements with municipalities that are not members of the Pool remain in effect. Provisions in the Fire Safety Act require neighboring municipalities to assist each other during interventions requiring the assistance of neighboring municipalities.

MRC Diagnostic Study

In 2023, the Argenteuil MRC Council of Mayors commissioned ICARIUM, a specialist firm in the field, to produce a diagnostic report on the fire services of the MRC's municipalities and propose solutions to improve service to the population. We present the results of this study for GORE here. It was from this study that the municipal council's reflection began.

As you can see from these results, the situation in Gore is worrisome and unsustainable. We clearly do not have enough firefighters available during the week to meet our obligations and ensure everyone's safety. The new government guidelines on fire safety require municipalities to ensure a firefighting force of eight firefighters for fires and a reduced firefighting force for residential alarms (6 for rural areas). The number of firefighters available day and week has certainly varied since the 2023 data was compiled. However, the method of operating with part-time, on-call firefighters is outdated and leaves the municipality vulnerable to the availability of its firefighters. Life has changed since the establishment of rural fire services in Quebec. Now, most firefighters work outside their municipality during the week, have many family commitments, and are less available than before. This observation is not intended as a criticism but reflects today's reality. The municipality is working hard to find viable long-term solutions.

The ICARIUM study (2023) was made possible thanks to data provided directly by Gore (by the fire chief and general management).

Here are the study's findings for Gore:

• We are observing a decrease and aging of the brigade;
• There is a shortage of senior officers;
• Firefighter mobilization times are increasing;
• Interventions are increasingly complex;
• Fire prevention is insufficient;
• Training and development do not comply with the regulations on conditions for practicing, the LSST, and the NFPA 1001 standard.

Consequently, significant investments will be required to address the identified issues and upgrade fire safety.

Here are the numbers for GORE : (2023)Number of firefighters present at more than 50% of calls (2023): 3

Number of firefighters present at more than 50% of practices (2023): 4

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GORE:

• "The management of the department's activities revolves around a director who is the only senior officer. It goes without saying that this particularity means that he is on call 24/7, 365 days a year as the sole representative of the employer.

• The brigade has seen a significant decline in the number of firefighters in recent years. Since recruiting new firefighters is very difficult and there is no internal replacement for officer or director positions, it goes without saying that the SSI is increasingly dependent on the mutual assistance of neighboring SSIs to achieve its response capacity;

• That the slow growth in the number of interventions is currently manageable by a group of part-time on-call firefighters.

Therefore, our recommendations are:

• The complete merging of fire department activities with those of Lachute and Wentworth, since Lachute is the only truly viable option for Gore, both geographically and administratively. Only the Lachute FSS has the financial resources, and above all, the expertise, to successfully take over the operation of the Gore fire station, manage the current FSS firefighters in a hybrid service model composed of the municipality's part-time firefighters and firefighters on call in Lachute, and ensure the presence of a fire station within the municipality for residents.

• However, we recommend that municipal authorities exclude, in the short term, fixed equipment, vehicles, and fire stations from any Intermunicipal agreement;

• Create a hub east of the MRC by partially joining the Lachute FSS and the Saint-André-d'Argenteuil FSS, then fully merging Lachute and the Gore and Wentworth FSSs;»

The First Responders (FR) Issue

A first responder service is an emergency service that intervenes before paramedics arrive to provide first aid to people in emergency situations. These responders are trained to assess, stabilize, and prevent the deterioration of the victim's condition while waiting for paramedics to arrive. They do not move the victim.

In Quebec, 333 municipalities (out of a total of 1,104) offer first responder services, and the cost is borne by the municipalities (aside from a government subsidy for the implementation of the service). For example, the cost of first responders in Wentworth-Nord, as indicated in their 2024 budget, is $110,545. This represents approximately $60 per tax bill.

A municipality that chooses to offer a FR service must ensure that trained personnel are available at all times to answer FR calls 24/7. These people cannot be assigned to anything else (such as acting as a firefighter for example).

🔥 Why sign an intermunicipal fire services agreement?

This agreement aims to ensure better coverage of the territory, improve response times, and optimize human and material resources over the long term. This is a strategic measure to strengthen the resilience of emergency services in rural areas. The four municipalities involved (Gore, Lachute, Wentworth, and St-André-d'Argenteuil) are currently working to share the City of Lachute's resources for an enhanced headquarters and internal fire department with the three other municipalities, through a service provision agreement.

🔥 What will the impact be on current firefighters?

Under this intermunicipal agreement, each municipality will retain its fire stations, necessary equipment, and personnel. Therefore, the Gore firefighters will remain on duty in Gore. Our firefighters will now have access to the City of Lachute's training and practices and will be able to share their knowledge and skills with other municipalities.

🔥 I have questions or comments about this agreement, where can I write ?

You can send all your questions and comments to info@cantondegore.qc.ca.

🔥 Will citizen safety be affected?

YES, A POSITIVE IMPACT! The intermunicipal agreement will IMPROVE coverage across the territory, thanks to better coordination, centralized resources, specialized teams, and, ABOVE ALL, an internal guard. We will also have a better headquarters because it will be made up of several managers, who will be able to support each other. There will be much less pressure on the fire chief.

Morin-Heights and St-Adolphe: https://www.journalacces.ca/ma-ville/morin-heights/saint-adolphe-dhoward-et-morin-heights-regroupent-leurs-services-dincendie/

Charlevoix : https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2149576/pompier-urgence-mrc-municipalite

https://cihofm.com/news/une-etude-recommande-le-regroupement-complet-des-services-incendie-de-la-mrc-de-charlevoix/

Abitibi-ouest : https://www.lecitoyenrouynlasarre.com/article/actualites/renforcement-de-la-solidarite-incendie-le-regroupement-de-labitibi-ouest-setend/

https://www.lasarre.ca/actualites/tous-unis-pour-la-prevention-des-incendies/

Memphremagog : https://www.lerefletdulac.com/infolettre/un-regroupement-des-services-incendie-a-letude-a-louest-du-lac-memphremagog/

https://cihofm.com/news/services-incendies-municipaux-se-regrouper-pour-optimiser-propose-lagsicq/

Prévost-St-Hippolyte – St-Jérôme : https://laurentides.cime.fm/nouvelles/635484/prevost-st-hippolyte-et-st-jerome-negocient

Here is a timeline of events:

• Winter 2017: The municipalities of Wentworth, Gore, and Mille-Isles commissioned the firm Michel Richer to assess the feasibility of consolidating their fire departments. Following the study's results, the municipalities opted for the status quo. The costs of consolidation were too high for Wentworth Township.
• 2021: Wentworth Township, due to staff shortages, outdated equipment, and the absence of a command center, signed an intermunicipal agreement with the City of Lachute to provide fire service coverage to its residents.
• Spring 2023: The MRC commissioned the firm ICARIUM to conduct a diagnostic study of the fire departments in the Argenteuil MRC. The municipality's fire department participated in the study by sharing service data with the firm. Telephone interviews are held with the department's management and general management to gain a clear understanding of the state of the service.
• March 2024: The diagnostic study by ICARIUM is presented to the MRC's council of mayors and the Township of Gore municipal council. The study's data is concerning and demonstrates that the Township's fire department has significant shortcomings in terms of fire attendance rates and practices, prevention activities, and the sustainability of the service.
• Fall 2024: Meeting with the City of Lachute and the Township of Wentworth to find sustainable solutions to ensure the safety of citizens in terms of fire protection. The draft intermunicipal agreement is launched at this time.
• Spring 2025: Saint-André-d'Argenteuil and Mille-Isles join the agreement discussions to assess the viability of joining us.
• Summer 2025 : Resolution that authorises the Township of Gore to negociate the terms of an intermunicipal agreement in fire safety services with the City of Lachute.