It’s ‘back to 2011’ for regional fire departments

PENTICTON – The regional district board of directors concluded the repeal of the district’s overriding bylaw governing fire departments, leaving the district’s seven fire halls to manage themselves through their own individual regulatory bylaws.

Disagreements between the region’s fire chiefs and the regional district’s handling of new a new regulatory bylaw led to the motion to repeal both it and a seven-year-old bylaw intended to centralize administration of the seven regional departments.

Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen Board of Directors adopted a bylaw to repeal bylaws 2087 and 2566 at yesterday's April 19, regular board meeting.

Area D director Tom Siddon noted the potential for the bylaws to be in conflict with those of the individual departments saying, “With both on the books, you could end up with a problem in the courts if you have a challenge.”

Siddon was fully in support of getting rid of the bylaws.

West Bench director Michael Brydon said the repeal now meant the fire chiefs were back in control.

“We’re going to be back where we were in 2011, with a tribunal of 18 deciding whether to fire a fire chief. If we get a bad fire chief or a bad situation with referrals we’re going to be back here,” he told the board.

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