The once controversial “gap” in emergency fire dispatch services in the district finally has been closed.
The “gap”–a 10 to 15-minute break that would occur in the dispatch service whenever the dispatcher already was on a call–has been filled by Riverside Health Care Facilities Inc.
The “gap” was discovered about two years ago when the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office completed an audit of the system.
The Fort Frances Fire Department, which handles all of the district’s emergency calls, is manned 24 hours a day. But when the department responded to an emergency call, the dispatch centre would be left unmanned for several minutes.
When they answer the fire emergency calls, they dispatch the appropriate fire department through the Rainy River District Mutual Aid Association’s district-wide radio system.
The Rainy River District Mutual Aid Association formed a sub-committee to close the “gap” and find a dispatch provider that could provide service during the unmanned period–and found Riverside Health Care Inc. to fill the void.
“I asked them if they would be able to do this because they have the equipment,” noted Emo Fire Chief Rob Johnson, who chaired the sub-committee.
Riverside already is set up to handle the district’s 911 calls. After the mutual aid association paid to install the connections between the 911 operator and its radio system, Riverside agreed to provide the “gap” coverage at no cost.
“We just wanted to thank Riverside because they could have made us pay the costs and it would have been an arm and a leg,” noted Chief Johnson.
Although the solution was found by the RRDMAA, the agreement had to be made between Fort Frances town council and Riverside before the system could be up and running. It has now been put to the test and has worked flawlessly, according to the association.
Riverside agreed to fill the “gap” as a community service to help protect the district’s residents.
Fort Frances Times
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