CENTRE WELLINGTON – Centre Wellington Fire Rescue will soon play a larger role in responding to complex emergencies across Wellington County.
At its Monday evening meeting, Centre Wellington Council approved moving forward with new technical rescue service agreements that would allow the fire department to assist neighbouring municipalities when specialized rescue resources are needed.
The proposed agreements would see Centre Wellington firefighters respond to incidents requiring advanced rescue expertise, including rope rescues, water and ice rescues, technical rescue consultation, incident support, and the deployment of specially trained personnel and equipment.
Centre Wellington Fire Chief Jason Benn says the goal is to establish Centre Wellington Fire Rescue as a regional resource for technical rescue operations, making its specialized teams available to partner municipalities when requested.
Benn emphasized that responding outside the township will never come at the expense of local emergency coverage. He said deployments will only occur when Centre Wellington has enough firefighters and equipment available to continue meeting its own service commitments.
According to Benn, the department has spent several years building its technical rescue program through investments in equipment, firefighter training, and specialized capabilities. The agreements would allow those resources to be used more effectively while strengthening emergency response throughout the region.
He added that the concept originated after a neighbouring municipality approached Centre Wellington to ask whether a formal technical rescue partnership could be created.
While discussions are underway with potential partners, Benn said he is not yet identifying which municipalities may ultimately sign on until negotiations are complete.
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