By Keith Lacey
Despite the negative publicity and outpouring of public grief that followed a deadly house fire in Hanmer 16 months ago, City of Greater Sudbury council enacted the least expensive option to improve fire services in Valley East.
Former Sudbury fire chief Rob Browning, who quit four months ago to take over as fire chief in Kitchener, told a coroner?s inquest Thursday he provided four options to city council in his 2002 budget to improve fire services in Valley East.
Browning was testifying at the inquest into the house fire that ignited just after noon on April 22, 2001. Asha-Jade McLean, 3, her brother Ellias, 4, and their great-grandmother Pearl Shaw, 75, were trapped inside the home at 4141 Roy St. in Hanmer and perished in the tragic blaze.
Two options included hiring two full-time fire prevention officers to improve public education, and hiring one training officer.
Browning?s other two options included hiring four full-time firefighters to complement the current staff of six and 35 volunteers and his preferred option was to hire 18 full-time firefighters to provide around-the-clock protection at three Valley East fire halls, said Browning.
Council elected for the least expensive option and hired one training officer.
When assistant Crown attorney Andrew Slater asked Browning ?you were hoping for 18, but you got one?, the former fire chief replied ?that?s correct.?
From the time he became Sudbury?s fire chief in 1998 until his departure four months ago, Browning said he wanted to conduct a complete review of all fire services, but never had the time or resources.
?There were a number of pretty significant issues? when he took over and he had to focus his energy on them, he said.
Council was about to amalgamate the fire communications system with the police communications system, and this was his major focus the first few months on the job, said Browning.
Fire department management were very upset with the plan. They were worried fire calls wouldn?t be given equal priority as police calls, said Browning.
In the middle of this, the province announced in late 1999 the amalgamation of the city and region into the City of Greater Sudbury, he said.
?I had a myriad of concerns of trying to bring seven or eight fire services into one,? he said.
His biggest problem was the province?s transition board didn?t allow enough time between announcing amalgamation and demanding his final report six months later in May of 2000, said Browning.
?There was no time for any detailed analysis? of fire services across the region, he said.
Browning?s report basically detailed how the city relied mainly on full-timers, while most outlying regions depended heavily on volunteers.
?Throughout the amalgamation process, I was heavily concerned there was no thorough review of fire services across the City of Greater Sudbury?I?m still concerned,? said Browning.
?I had to deal with the larger concerns as best I could.?
While certain areas of service have been improved, a complete overhaul of how services are provided, staffing, status of equipment, long-term budgeting and meeting provincial response time standards should be conducted, said Browning.
Every move he did recommend during amalgamation was questioned by council ?and this made things very difficult? as much of the equipment was sub-standard and would cost big dollars to improve, he said.
During the amalgamation process, the province did provide $620,000 to provide modern self-contained breathing apparatus for all full-time and volunteer firefighters across the Greater City, $120,000 to standardize other crucial equipment, $920,000 to purchase new vehicles and $5.3 million for the communications system, said Browning.
When asked if he had any particular concerns about the structure of the Valley East department Browning testified the only realistic staffing model feasible with budget constrants is a composite model of full-timers and volunteers, said Browning.
Volunteer firefighters are dedicated, highly professional and well-trained, but that doesn?t mean more full-timers aren?t needed, he said.
Many firefighters involved in the deadly fire were devastated about media reports they took too long to arrive on the scene and some weren?t prepared to battle the fire once they arrived on scene, said Browning.
Everyone involved in battling the blaze did everything they could to try and get inside and rescue the victims and put the fire out as quickly as possible, said Browning.
When asked to make recommendations to the jury, he said establishing a fire services board, similar to a police board which has to have its budget approved by council, would be a great idea.
Valley East deserves more full-time firefighters as it has a large population base and large geographic area, he said.
