Piccadilly Fire Hall Sparks Heated Debate In Central Council

Craig Bakay | Jun 05, 2024

The question of what to put in the fire department garage in Piccadilly was seemingly settled at Central Frontenac Council’s regular meeting May 28 although there were some terse exchanges and Fire Chief Chris McDonough still has one more report to submit.

The saga began early on in the meeting with the Chief asking for authorization to surplus a 1999 tanker and proceed with an RFP to purchase a new support vehicle for inspections and training.

“The tanker is due to be replaced this year but the chassis for the new vehicle won’t be here until September and so we won’t receive delivery of that truck until next year,” McDonough said. “The support vehicle is due to be replaced next year so I’m just reversing the replacement schedule (as outlined in the Fire Master Plan).”

However, that resolution was defeated.

Later on in the meeting, a notice of motion from Coun. Nicki Gowdy came up for discussion, in which she asked for prices on a replacement for a Sharbot Lake vehicle.

McDonough said he had found a suitable vehicle that would cost $550,000 Cdn when delivered to the border.

Gowdy responded that she had found a 2023 advertised in Dependable Emergency Vehicles for $499,000 out of Brampton.

“That truck you’re discussing there is too long to fit in the station,” McDonough said. “The wheelbase is too long and it would get hung up on some of our roads, so it’s not practical.”

A discussion of how reserves are used to purchase vehicles ensued and ended when treasurer Michael McGovern said “Regardless of what’s in the budget, if we’re spending less, that remaining money stays in in reserves to be used for next year.”

“I think the word ‘reserves’ gets skewed,” McDonough said. “It’s not money you’re taking out, it’s money that’s been allocated for something like buying a piece of equipment or building a building.

“The truck that’s coming in 2025, we’re saving over $300,000.”

“So, your recommendation is to leave it as was budgeted and not jump the gun at this point?” said Mayor Frances Smith.

“The combination pumper/rescue vehicle is actually reducing the fleet,” McDonough said. “The Dep. Chief’s vehicle is going to Piccadilly.

But Gowdy didn’t like the sound of that.

“The residents (of the Piccadilly area) are looking for a piece of fire apparatus, not a pickup truck,” she said.

“They don’t have a fire hall, they have a garage,” said Smith.

“I’m here representing the people of that area,” said Gowdy.

“You represent the Township as a whole,” Smith shot back.

McDonough said they don’t have enough firefighters down there to run a pumper (15 required) and if the pickup weren’t there, they’d lose two of the three firefighters in the area (who only do medical calls.

“You can’t think that one firefighter with a pumper is going to put out a structure fire,” he said. “I know that Council has concerns but these are operational issues.

“I’m being told what trucks to look at now?

“I think I know my business but this is becoming a bit frustrating for me.”

He said his recommendation was to wait for the Automatic Mutual Aide Agreement with South Frontenac to be finalized (which will allow for re-certification of the shuttle accreditation) and leave a pickup in the Piccadilly location.

He said the replacement schedule was updated in the 2024 Master Plan and runs to 2035.

He said he fully expects South Frontenac to pass the mutual aide agreement adding that over the past five years, Central has made 132 trips into South whereas South has made about 140 trips into Central.

“So, one more report Chris and then we’ll try to stay out of it and let you do your job,” said Smith.

K&P Trail

During a Frontenac County Economic Development update to Council, Manager Richard Allen said that while the K & P trail is an incredible asset from a tourism perspective but it lacks accommodation and food & beverage locations to support it.

To that end, he said: “initial recommendations are that we look into working with church groups and community halls for group bookings of overnight accommodations to help people have a dry roof over their heads, and/or increase transient camping on or near the trail.”