A request by the Moose Jaw Fire Department to update and change aspects of the fire bylaw – encompassing the department's fire-fighting policies and plans – received nearly an hour of deliberation during the Dec. 10 Executive Committee meeting, largely surrounding the communication of bylaw changes to Moose Jaw citizens.
The major component of the bylaw itself surrounded nuisance alarms and featured the implementation of a fine structure where the first two false alarm calls are free, a third call draws a $300 fine and four or more calls a $500 fine each.
A “nuisance alarm” is considered any alarm which the fire department responds to where there is no fire. This includes smoke generated from cooking incidents, poorly located detection devices, faulty devices, malicious activation of alarms, servicing of alarm systems and so forth.
Fire chief Rod Montgomery pointed out that there were 11 false alarms at a single location in 2018 and six at another, with a total of around 50 for the year as a whole.
While the bylaw itself passed unanimously, an amendment proposed by Coun. Chris Warren with regards to public notification of bylaw changes was far more contentious.
“I totally support these changes, but we've had to backtrack on some changes in the past when we haven't engaged the community in some of these major changes,” Warren said. “I'd just like to provide our stakeholders some opportunity to hear about these changes before it's coming back to us so that we have the full picture and community feedback and input.”
Coun. Brian Swanson agreed -- saying that creating such public consultation would be a simple matter of advertising it was happening and letting the public have their say – while Mayor Fraser Tolmie was among the dissenters, with his reasoning that any bylaw changes could be included with tax notifications.
Warren's amendment passed by a 4-3 margin, with Tolmie, Eby and Luhning opposed.
Coun. Crystal Froese then moved that a communication plan and strategy be created for the introduction of new bylaws, with that motion to be brought forth at the next meeting of city council.
