ENFIELD: The Enfield Volunteer Fire Department has issued a letter to residents in the HRM side of Enfield regarding the ongoing mutual aid negotiations with HRM Fire for coverage into that area.
The letter from Enfield fire chief Todd Pepperdine and Deputy Chief Dale Copp was also sent to District 1 Councillor Cathy Deagle Gammon, HRM Mayor Mike Savage and others.
In the letter, it details background of the agreement and the payment from HRM Fire towards Enfield Fire. It has been in place since 2004.
The letter starts off saying “the closest fire department may not be the first to respond.”
It then talks about the department covering the Enfield HRM, Oldham, and Hwy 102 Airport Hill area since 1957, and responding to thousands of calls. They also provide fire prevention education to students at Oldfield Consolidated School.
In three tweets, Halifax Fire Chief Ken Stuebing said the following about the letter and ongoing discussions:
Last June, Enfield received a letter from HRM Fire terminating the agreement they had with them, effective Oct. 1, 2020. That agreement included a payment of $40,000 per year from HRM Fire plus dispatch services.
“At the present time there is no agreement in place, but Enfield Fire would like to assure residents of Enfield HRM that during ongoing negotiations we will provide emergency services without interruption when called,” the letter said.
The letter continues saying “HRM Fire’s current proposed contract contains no financial support to Enfield Fire.”
“We are looking forward to a mutually acceptable agreement with HRM Fire to further serve the greater Enfield community,” the letter said.
“In the event that such an agreement cannot be reached, HRM Fire will be responsible for primary emergency response to Enfield HRM.”
