Ontario Company To Review City’s Fire Services

An Ontario-based consulting company will lead Saint John’s fire service review and 15-year strategic plan.

Council voted Monday night to accept a $95,000 proposal submitted by Pomax Consulting Inc.

The review, according to a staff report, will map out a fire service strategy and appropriate fire service level for the next 15 years.

Among other things, the review will look at the “general locations of future necessary fire stations” and create a 30-year fire station plan.

“I’m certainly pleased to see the topics of sustainability, affordability, all of those pieces being referenced in that fire service review. Our cost per capita today is very high,” said Mayor Don Darling.

Council approved the review last June based on a recommendation contained in the Ernst & Young sustainability review.

At the same time, council voted to close the Millidgeville fire station and eliminate 24 firefighter positions in an effort to reduce costs by $1.875 million.

City manager John Collin told council Monday that the review is slated to be completed by the end of the year.

“The timeline is still in a degree of flux because the proponent is going to have to do a fair amount of data analysis and we have to provide that data,” Collin said.

“We’re still in discussions as to exactly how that data will flow, when we will be able to provide everything that they are looking for, etc. That’s why you don’t see a firm timeline other than we know the fire services review will be complete before the end of 2021.”

Pomax Consulting has been involved with several recent projects in the region, including a five-year strategic plan development with the Kennebecasis Valley Fire Department and a province-wide service system review with Ambulance New Brunswick.