Poll on Sudbury fire department plan shows citizens plugged into optimization debate

The results of a poll that some have dismissed as biased, havebeen put in front of Sudbury city councillors as they get set to vote on a controversial plan to overhaul the fire department.

The optimization plan would see more full-time firefighters stationed in the outlying areas of Greater Sudbury, while the city would cut the number of volunteers it takes on and close nine fire halls in largely rural parts of the city.

After weeks of sometimes divisive debate on social media and at public meetings, city council will vote on certain aspects of the plan Wednesday.

They've each been provided with the findings of a poll that was commissioned by the Sudbury Professional Firefighters Association.

"Hand delivered to mayor and council essentially to offer it up as simply a food-for-thought piece, which I recognize, at the end of the day, they may or may not find relevant," says association president Kris Volpel.

The telephone survey was conducted byMainstreetResearch, which received responses from 4,932 people in Greater Sudbury, including about 400 in each of the 12 wards.

The poll is considered accurate within 2 per cent, 99 times out of 100.

Among the poll's findings:

• 64 per cent of Sudburians approve of the full-time firefighters
• 41 per cent want to see firefighters respond to an emergency within 5 minutes
• 87 per cent would want the fastest guaranteed response if a nursing home was on fire
• 52 per cent say re-locating fire stations to maximize coverage is a good idea, while 23 per cent aren't sure
• 62 per cent sayeveryone should pay their fair share for fire protection, while 24 per cent aren't sure
• 72 per cent say all Sudbury residents should receive the same coverage
• 52 per cent of citizens say they have been following coverage of the optimization plan closely

Volpel says he was pleased to see that level of engagement, which is rare with municipal policy issues like this.

"A lot of times people are unaware, uninformed and just for whatever reason, uninterested. Our results show that this certainly isn't the case as it applies to the optimization plan," he says.

The CLAC, the union representing volunteer firefighters, believes the survey was slanted in favour of career firefighters and has suggested the results should not be taken into account when deciding the future of the fire department.