Lots trucking at Rideau Lakes Fire Department
Posted Oct 29, 2009 By Dianne Pinder-Moss
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EMC News - Just as Rideau Lakes Fire Department (RLFD) chief Jay DeBernardi takes pride in his firefighters, he also is proud of the services provided by the fire department to the township.
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Five new vehicles have been purchased to replace five aging vehicles in the Rideau Lakes Fire Department's fleet of 17 apparati. On hand for the recent unveiling of the new fire vehicles were left to right: Fire department Capt. Rob Wilson, Capt. Brian Giff, firefighter Allison Lesway, Rideau Lakes councillor Linda Carr, mayor Ron Holman, councillors Paul Smith, Rita Purcell, Dave Bianco, Joe McNally and Rob Dunfield, fire chief Jay DeBernardi, firefighter Susanne Vogt and firefighter Jason Renwick.
And DeBernardi believes the recent purchase of five new vehicles will allow the approximately 100 volunteer firefighters to do their job "in a safer and more efficient way."
"These new apparatus show a commitment by council to community safety and the safety of the volunteer firefighters that protect the public 24/7," he says.
Part of the fire department's fleet of 17 "apparatus," the two new tanker trucks, one pumper and two rescue vehicles that are now in service replace aging vehicles.
"These are replacement trucks for trucks that are or are about to exceed their age limit," DeBernardi explained in an interview.
Generally, says the fire chief, it is the practice for municipalities to replace fire apparatus that is in the 20 to 25 year age range. The reason being, he noted, the age of vehicles is one of the factors taken into consideration by insurance companies when awarding a rating to a municipality.
As a result, DeBernardi says property owners in the township can expect to see savings on their property insurance from the purchase of the new trucks and the fact the RLFD has Superior Tanker Shuttle certification. Those savings could be as much as 15 to 20 per cent, he mentioned
In comparison, he says the cost to residents for the $966,000 purchase will be "roughly" 2.14 cents per person per year over the course of 25 years.
"They are a 25-year investment that allows that service to be provided effectively and help reduce home insurance costs as insurance companies factor in the age of a municipality's equipment when calculating premiums, and thus savings to our residents," the fire chief noted.
Rideau Lakes has a year-round populace of approximately 10,500 with a few hundred more living in Westport. In the summer months, with all the cottagers, the population swells to about 18,000 people.
While contributions were made by some of the firefighter associations in the RLFD to the purchase of the new fire trucks, the remainder of the cost is being covered through the municipal budget.
By buying the five vehicles at one time, DeBernardi said Rideau Lakes was able to get a reduced price from Carl Thibault Emergency Vehicles in Quebec where the apparatus was purchased.
"We saved between $200,000 and $250,000 by buying the five trucks at once," he stated.
The RLFD has stations in Delta, Portland, Elgin and Westport. One of the new tanker trucks will be stationed at Station 4 in Westport with the other being located at Station 2 in Portland. The two rescue vehicles have been allocated respectively to the Portland station and Station 3 in Elgin. The pumper truck will also be housed in Portland.
