The county budget approved by Athabasca County council last month included a budget allocation to bring the countyís regional fire coordinator up to a full-time permanent position.
Bryan Hall has been contracted by the county as the regional fire services coordinator for the past year to provide administrative as well as ìmaintenance and operationsî support for the nine volunteer fire departments throughout the county, according to Ron Jackson, director of Emergency Services at Athabasca County.
Hall is currently training to take on the position of regional fire coordinator in a full-time capacity, according to the county.
He will start the full-time position on April 1.
Jackson said the full-time position is a better commitment that will provide better certainty for the county when providing optimized training support to the regionís fire service.
ìWe depend a lot on our volunteers and if the volunteer service falls apart Ö if we lose our volunteer service, basically we as a municipality are going to be in for a world of hurt, because to try and actually put in a paid service for fire protection, (municipalities) frankly canít afford it,î said Jackson.
ìWe rely on our volunteers heavily, and so having whatever support we can give them administratively and budget-wise, and a municipal overseer I think is invaluable,î he continued.
Hall began his career as a volunteer firefighter in British Columbia, and trained as a firefighter and an emergency medical technician.
When he came to Athabasca, he worked as an ambulance attendant, according to a press statement from Athabasca County.
He became part of the firefighting team at Shellís Albian Sands project as well as a member of Athabascaís volunteer fire department.
ìWe want to put every department on the same level and make sure they have the resources to exceed the standards,î explained Hall in the county statement.
ìThe volunteers have lots of work already, so Iíll be here to lighten the load and help them any way I can,î he concluded.
The regional fire coordinator concept began two years ago as a contract position, essentially a pilot project according to Jackson, but the roleís value has increased.
There is a partnership and service agreement between the county, the Town of Athabasca and the Village of Boyle, to provide fire service to a portion of the county.
In addition to that partnership, the regional fire services coordinator provides support to fire departments spread throughout the county, including Wandering River, Grassland, Caslan, Colinton, Richmond Park, Rochester and Baptiste Lake, according to Jackson.
