Owen Sound and Georgian Bluffs have a new agreement concerning fire prevention services.
Georgian Bluffs council approved a recommendation at its meeting Wednesday to enter a shared service agreement with Owen Sound, which would see the city provide a fire prevention officer to the township one day a week.
Township CAO Niall Lobley says the agreement will formalize an arrangement Georgian Bluffs has had with the city for a “number of years” to provide fire prevention services.
“Which are a mandated task for the township of Georgian Bluffs,” Lobley explains. “It is something the township needs to do.”
Fire prevention focuses on reducing the chances of fires starting in the first place, through community engagement. The fire prevention officer would help support a broad scope of activities in the township, including routine fire safety inspections, as well as educational programs such as home and school visits.
Georgian Bluffs will pay up to $50,000 this year to Owen Sound for the service. The township plans to review the pact annually.
The fire prevention agreement has already been endorsed by Owen Sound’s corporate services committee, but council still needs to formally sign off.
This collaboration is the latest shared service agreement reached between the two neighbouring municipalities recently. A deal was struck earlier this year for Owen Sound to support building services in Georgian Bluffs. Last year, the township agreed to pay to the city to allow its residents to continue to access Owen Sound’s leaf and yard waste site.