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King Fire Master Plan is in the works

May 3, 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
King Township, in keeping with its desire to have comprehensive strategies in all areas, has given its approval for preparing a Fire Master Plan.
Council approved the contract with Emergency Management and Training Inc. (EMT) to prepare a master plan for King Fire & Emergency Services. Similar plans are in the process for Georgina, East Gwillimbury and Whitchurch-Stouffville, so King benefits from advantageous pricing by using EMT.
Municipalities in the N6 of York continue to explore groundbreaking service delivery methods. The five fire chiefs of the N6 have worked together to pursue opportunities for collaboration and innovation, according to a report by King’s Fire Chief Jim Wall.
“This joint effort has produced a number of ideas and possibilities, that while requiring further analysis, have the potential for operational effectiveness that may be available due to the ongoing growth of the participating municipalities … The focus of this ‘N6 Fire & Emergency Services Collaboration Initiative’ is to explore efficiencies and innovation in the delivery of fire and emergency services, in some instances, in a cooperative fashion.”
The first step, he observed, was the preparation of updated master plans. The four municipalities agreed to work together in creating terms of reference for one common RFP for the master plans.  This, Wall pointed out, was prepared in such a way to take advantage of discount pricing. “This partnership also presents the opportunity to include a unique perspective during the preparation of the Fire Master Plans.”
In this year’s fire and emergency business plan, it was noted there’s a need to continue to monitor King’s long-range fire master plan for relevancy. “In order for a Fire Master Plan to be realistic, practical and sustainable, the plan needs to be reviewed …”
By hiring EMT, the four municipalities received a discount.
The total cost to King Township is estimated at $59,000 and it comes under the budgeted amount of $80,000 in the 2016 capital budget.
“The results of the Joint Fire Master Plan RFP are yet another example of the value of the N6 collaboration,” Chief Wall noted. “The opportunities for innovation and efficiencies that may be presented through this cooperative effort are highlighted by the favourable pricing that has stemmed from the RFP.”

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