Today I met with leadership at Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency to talk about fire safety in Hammonds Plains-Lucasville.
We covered egress, water supply, emergency gates, FireSmart, and how residents can be better prepared if something happens again.
Egress came up throughout, because it’s tied to everything else: water supply, wildfire risk, and how quickly people can get out. HRFE is building on the work in HRM’s connectivity report, looking at egress together with wildfire risk and water supply to help set priorities. HRM’s survey on proposed community connector roads is open until October 23, and I’d encourage everyone to fill it out. The province is ready to support HRM as this work moves forward.
Crews plan for every part of our area, including neighbourhoods without hydrants. There, tankers shuttle water from a network of dry hydrants HRFE maintains across the area. That planning happens well before any call comes in.
Two projects that matter to our area are progressing well: the new West Bedford fire station and headquarters, and round-the-clock career staffing at Station 50 in Hammonds Plains. HRFE will announce dates soon.
On emergency gates, I raised what I hear from residents constantly: people want to know these gates can be opened quickly, and who opens them. I’m working on easier access to open them in an emergency, and clearer information for residents on how it works.
HRFE also wants to be in the room. If your community group is holding a meeting on egress or emergency preparedness, they’re happy to attend. The same goes for any neighbourhood that wants to get started on FireSmart. Call my office and I’ll help make the connection.
If there’s enough interest, I’d like to host a community preparedness event with HRFE and other agencies, so residents can ask their questions directly. Let me know in the comments if you’d attend.
A thank you to the Station 50 volunteers, who give a lot back to this community, including the flagpole at our Remembrance Day site.
And thank you to the team for the challenge coin. It carries a horse-drawn steam engine, a reminder that Halifax has had a fire service since 1754, the first in Canada.
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