Cape Breton Regional Fire Service seeks smaller budget

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality's fire service is one of the few departments seeking a budget reduction next year.

Gilbert MacIntyre, deputy chief of operations, presented a draft budget Wednesday to the CBRM's fire and emergency services committee in Sydney.

The service is seeking $1.2 million in capital funds for three new trucks, but it's also proposing a one per cent cut in its annual operating budget. That would shave about $175,000 off a budget of $18.2 million.

MacIntyre said the reduction is possible because building repairs and some equipment and contracts are no longer needed.

"We're not asking for less money," he said. "We're stating that we can get by with less money.

"This is a cash-strapped municipality. I think it's important for the heads of all departments to look at their budget realistically."

Buying in batches

For example,MacIntyresaid, industry standards are changing on air bottles for firefighter breathing apparatusesover the next few years. CBRM will get new bottles in batches over several yearsbecause switching all at once would cost more than $300,000.

"If we had a budget of a city or a municipality that was much more successful and rich than ours is, then I would absolutely go for the $300,000 right away," said MacIntyre.

"I mean, you have to live within your means, and that's all we're trying to do."

Chris March, deputy chief and fleet manager, said the service has been replacing vehicles over the last decade and is nearing the end of that program.

Whenever onedepartment received a new truck, its older but still serviceable vehicle was sent to another department. That has made it affordable to renew the fleet with new and used vehicles, said March.

"I think our fleet now is in excellent shape, because even the trucks that are at 24 and 25 years old, they're very well maintained by the departments that own them and have them," he said.

New trucks arrive next month for volunteer departments in Boisedale, Big Pond and Southside Boularderie. If CBRM council approves the capital budget request, new vehicles will also go to Westmount, Florence and Marion Bridge.

"So compared to 10 years ago, or when I first got here as a career firefighter in 2001, the condition of our fleet is, it's like comparing apples to oranges, really," said March.

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