To contact us:

RPFFA
Box 7 Station Main
Regina, SK
S4P 2Z5

Phone: (306) 522-7022
Fax: (306) 569-2566
Email: rpffa@sasktel.net

Regina Civic Election 2006:
PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES

The Fire Fighters call on our Council to make Public Safety a priority in the coming term by address the following two issues:

Issue #1:
Review of the Regina Fire Department to deal with the City's Growth

Regina is currently experiencing growth and there is no current proactive plan in place for the Fire Department to deal with this growth.  With talks of growing the City even more, we must have plans in place for coverage of our Protective Services.  The citizens of Regina cannot wait until a tragedy happens to conduct a review.

It has been over six years since the Fire Department conducted an internal Fire Services Review.  An independent audit needs to be done to measure the Service to current industry standards.  NFPA 1710 (National Fire Protection Association) is the standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public.  Essentially NPFA 1710 protects the public by setting levels of protection which includes required resources to do the work of Fire Fighting and ensuring how that protection is set out to cover the needs of the public.  Many NFPA standards are already adopted by the Fire Department including the areas of Training, Hiring, Promotion, and Equipment Standards.

Issue #2:
Enhance the Fire Department’s Role in Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Currently the Regina Fire Department supports the Health District in their delivery of EMS.  This arrangement is to the benefit of the patient at no extra cost of the taxpayer.  The Regina Fire Department currently does approximately 750 medical emergency calls a year where the Saskatoon Fire Department does closer to 5,000 calls.  It is clear that Primary Care Paramedic Fire Fighters are not being utilized to the extent they are in other cities, including Saskatoon.  Better cooperation and coordination of Fire and EMS services would mean better patient outcome.

In a time of growing health care costs this is a cost effective way of enhancing the delivery of this service. Fire Fighters are trained and positioned to service the citizens of Regina.  By utilizing the resources that the taxpayer is already funding, there can be enhanced services all to the benefit of the patient.