Firefighters packed the auditorium as Kapuskasing’s town council made its recommendation on how to proceed on its Master Fire Plan.
The town has selected an option in which more management and command staff will be added but it translates to two-fewer responding, full-time firefighters and a net-loss of four overall.
The town’s mayor, Allan Spacek says there will be no lay-offs and the plan will take years to implement.
Spacek says he’s also disappointed in the lack of public turnout for the decision.
President of Local 1237 Kapuskasing Association of Firefighters, Marc Sawyer says the plan has its merits, outlining aspects which need to be addressed but, not at the cost of staff.
Sawyer says there was only one initial meeting with Dillon Consulting two years ago regarding the plan.
The plan was headed up by Steve Thurlow, a former veteran firefighter with over 30 years of experience.
Spacek says the plan costed the town $120,000 to complete as data was gathered over the course of two years.
The Master Fire Plan addresses three lines of defense: education, emergency response and standards along with overall enforcement.
