Ahead of council deliberations, 2 Sudbury fire halls prepare for tough conversations

It's almost been a year since Greater Sudbury city council voted to close some fire halls and keep others open as long as they recruited enough part-time firefighters, often called "volunteers". 

Beaver Lake and Skead were told they would need 11 part-time firefighters to avoid being put on the chopping block along with the fire stations in Falconbridge, Val Caron and Hanmer back in June 2023.

Both stations have increased their numbers over the last couple of months.

Beaver Lake went from three to seven part-time firefighters, and Skead went from one to 13 — although some of those people are still in training, and some are awaiting initial testing.

For Beaver Lake, it may not be enough to avoid a consolidation with the neighbouring Whitefish station over the summer.

Beaver Lake wants more time to recruit

As the deadline approaches and city council is set to revisit the matter, the Beaver Lake fire services committee is calling for more time.

"We're hoping to get another extension because we have seen setbacks," said Ralph Prentice, chair of the Beaver Lake fire service. 

He says the newer recruits still need more time to finish their training, set to be completed in September. 

He also says ongoing efforts to discuss a mutual aid agreement with the neighbouring township of Nairn & Hyman to improve fire service coverage in Beaver Lake are not yielding results because of differences in 911 paging systems. 

His fellow committee member Brenda Salo says that there was recently a fire in Beaver Lake and part-time firefighters had to come in from Lively, some 30 minutes away.

"Fortunately, by the will of God, the wind did not go the wrong way," she said. 

Speaking to reporters, Sudbury fire chief Joseph Nichols said recruitment in Beaver Lake has been difficult for years.

"[We] put door knockers on every single residence in that community — and still, we struggle with recruiting sufficient numbers to make that station viable," he said. 

Head of Skead committee is calling for more flexibility to improve retention

As for Skead, the fire station there has been closed for 18 months. 

It was meant to reopen after renovations but has remained closed. 

The Skead committee is calling for it to be reopen and equipped now that there are newer recruits who can accompany the station's lone veteran firefighter on calls. 

Nichols says the challenge at Skead is unique, as the program had to restart after the fire station was damaged in an incident years ago.

"None of the firefighters have experience," he said. "Before we allow them to respond to calls, we have to have a process in place so they are doing in a measured, phased-in approach that meets their training."

"We need a competent supervisor there full time, and the recruits are a long way from being a captain," he said.

Nicole Everest, head of the Save the Skead Fire Station Committee, worries that the fire hall won't be able to hold on to its newer recruits, who are currently relying on Garson to respond to calls. 

"The training program is very stringent in terms of dates — if you miss one, you're kicked out of the program," she said. 

"We have to be vigilant to accommodate firefighters to ensure they are successful," she said, calling for more flexibility.

In her view, the city's plan to consolidate some fire halls means the city has passed on fire risks to the residents. 

"They are treating us like unorganized townships," she said. 

Fire chief is still recommending closing the Beaver Lake fire hall

Sudbury Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbée says the city has attempted to improve flexibility by hiring additional training staff.

For his part, Nichols says the city has done its best to be as flexible as possible "within the confines of staffing levels," but added that some volunteer firefighters expect a customized training schedule and that is not possible.

Labbée intends to ask her fellow council members to support a recruitment extension for Beaver Lake and the reopening of Skead in an upcoming meeting. 

"We want to make sure that all of our volunteer stations have the same opportunities for success. We can't afford to not have those safety measures in those communities," she said.

As for Nichols, he says the fire service will follow council's direction from June 2023, which involves consolidating Beaver Lake into the neighbouring Whitefish station.

"The firefighting capacity for Beaver Lake has always come from other communities," he said. "My recommendation has not changed."