SPANIARD’S BAY, NL — The Spaniard’s Bay Volunteer Fire Department recently elected a new executive and shared with the town council some of the brigade’s priorities for 2018.
Chief Curt Roberts remains in that leadership role two years after taking on the position. Deputy Chief Ross Snow is also returning and was in attendance for Monday night’s council meeting.
The department will request funding for a new pumper truck in 2018. Snow acknowledged it’s uncertain whether it will be Spaniard’s Bay’s turn to get a new vehicle of that magnitude, adding government will factor in the age of trucks elsewhere in the province up for replacement consideration.
“We make the application every year,” Snow said. “That way, our name stays on semi-top of the list.”
In 2017, the Spaniard’s Bay fire department spent $20,148 on new gear. That included an automated external defibrillator and a new thermal imaging camera that cost over $9,000.
The deputy chief also requested an update on the status of the old town hall, which is located in front of the fire station. The department has previously stated it would like to see the building removed to give firefighters more space. The town has issued tenders to purchase the building and remove it, but there have been no bidders.
Mayor Paul Brazil indicated the town has made an offer to firefighters to use the building for training purposes.
“There’s still some pretty pressing things on our plate that we’re trying to get resolved, but we’ll get to it pretty soon,” the mayor said. “There’s not much you’re going to be able to do with (the building) in January, February, or until the end of March. So hopefully towards the end of this month or the first part of next month, we’ll see some movement on that.”
Snow also indicated the department may need some financial help in the future to purchase firefighting foam. It was not commonly used by the local fire brigade, but Snow said with firefighters now tasked to respond more often to vehicle fires, there’s an increased demand to use the foam.
“And not only that — FES (Fire and Emergency Services NL) is kind of pushing to have this stuff used when you’re doing structural fires,” he said.
The department recently ordered four buckets of foam at a cost of $660.
