Despite the best efforts over the past 18 months to revitalize the Mirror Fire Department, there has been no increase in volunteers for the fire department. Lacombe County will be holding a public meeting as one last revitalization effort on July 25 to speak with the community about their options and the ramifications of closing the fire department.
“We have to meet the minimum standards to make this department viable and to perform the duties of a fire department safely, we need to comply with regulations,” explained Lacombe County Fire Chief Drayton Bussiere.
“At the end of the day, we need the community to understand the importance of these minimum standards, as well as how it will affect their service levels and potential impacts to insurance if the Fire Department is not revitalized.”
Over the past couple of years, significant focus on training standards for volunteers has come to the forefront in many areas. Currently, there is a roster of five firefighters in Mirror, however, best practice requires a minimum standard of 12 volunteers to make the department viable.
The Alix Fire Department has been supporting the community with the Mirror Fire Department and will continue providing service to Mirror going forward if Mirror Fire cannot be revitalized.
“We not only require 12 committed individuals to join this department, but they also need to complete adequate training to be able to safely respond to calls,” said Bussiere. “Currently, the Mirror Fire Department’s training is limited and we rely heavily on Alix to provide the manpower needed to safely and efficiently fight fires or to respond to motor vehicle accidents.”
The County invites Mirror-area residents to attend this public meeting at the Mirror Community Hall starting at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the future of the Mirror Fire Department and the impacts of this outcome if things do not change.
For more information, contact Lacombe County Fire Chief Drayton Bussiere at 403-782-8959 or email at dbussiere@lacombecounty.com.
Submitted
