Central York Fire may explore merger with Richmond Hill service

Yorkregion.com
April 17, 2015
By Chris Simon

A pair of York Region fire services may soon take the first steps toward amalgamation.

Central York Fire Services wants Newmarket and Aurora councils to grant it permission to explore a merger with Richmond Hill Fire and Emergency Services. If the request moves forward, a letter of interest will be drafted for and reviewed by Aurora and Newmarket councils, before being sent to Richmond Hill council for its consideration.

However, the merger talk comes as a bit of a surprise for Richmond Hill’s fire Chief Steve Kraft.

When contacted by York Region Media Group Thursday, Kraft admitted he’s only briefly discussed the matter with his CYFS colleague, Ian Laing.

“I don’t have any comments for or against it; I know very little about it,” he said. “He did tell me, if the motion passes (in Newmarket and Aurora), Richmond Hill council will be receiving a letter. It was probably a two minute call on the telephone.”

However, Laing said consolidation - or a more complementary servicing agreement, at least - could work well for all three towns.

“I’ve never had any formal conversations; it’s very preliminary,” he said. “Once a letter goes out, we’ll certainly sit down. There has to be appropriate rationale. Just because it’s twice as big, does that make it better? It’s got to be to the advantage of all three communities.”

Richmond Hill will spend about $19.8 million on fire and emergency services this year, according to the municipality’s recently approved operating budget - the CYFS’s draft 2015 operating budget is over $23 million.

Laing has pushed Newmarket and Aurora councils for improvements to the CYFS for years. In February, he told representatives from both municipalities that population growth and inadequate funding has made meeting service level requirements difficult.

An amalgamated service could help address pockets along municipal borders where a timely response can prove difficult.

“We have a great mutual aid system in the region and every municipality helps out,” he said. “I’m working hard to get the communities covered evenly. We know there are areas where we’d benefit helping each other. There are opportunities to look at better coverage.”

Consolidation is not unusual for the area. CYFS formed about 13 years ago when Aurora and Newmarket fire departments merged. While there are occasional hiccups, the decision has led to improved service levels for residents, Laing said.

“I’ve seen the advantages of consolidation,” he said. “Central York is a success. We provide a higher level of service than either community would have - for a lesser cost.”