CARSTAIRS - Town council has approved a new 10-year mutual aid agreement with the Town of Crossfield, setting out ways the two municipalities will work together in areas such as fire prevention and emergency medical response.
The move came by way of motion at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, held in person and on Zoom.
The stated purpose of the new agreement is to “provide mutual assistance to the parties for control of fire, fire prevention, emergency medical services, hazardous materials control, and/or other emergency support in the event of a major fire disaster or other emergency.”
Under the agreement either party’s fire department chief or authorized designate at the scene of an incident or emergency may request assistance from the other party. The agreement is entirely new and does not replace any previous agreement.
When a request is made, the responding party will determine if equipment and personnel are available to respond to the request and determine the type of the equipment and number of personnel available.
Regarding compensation, the agreement states, that, “Unless otherwise billable, each party agrees that it will not seek from the other party compensation for services rendered under this agreement. Each party hereto shall at all times be responsible to its own employees for the payment of wages and other compensation and for carrying workmen’s compensate upon said employees.
“And each party shall be responsible for its own equipment and shall bear the risk of loss therefore, irrespective of whether or not said personnel and equipment are being used within the area of primary responsibility of that party.”
The agreement also includes a section on training, which states that the municipalities “agree to share equipment and training material that are deemed mutually beneficial. Costs associated with training will be the responsibility of the appropriate party.”
The new agreement will remain in place until May 31, 2032 unless terminated sooner at the request of either municipality.
New school division agreement proposed
In other news from the May 9 meeting, council instructed administration to meet with Chinook’s Edge School Division regarding a proposed joint use and planning agreement between the municipality and the division.
The meeting would see the parties identify any possible concerns or changes needed in the proposed agreement before it is considered for approval.
The agreement itself deals with the acquisition, serving, development, use, transfer and disposal of municipal reserve, school reserve and municipal and school reserve land.
“The joint use of municipal facilities and school board facilities is an important tool in providing educational, cultural and recreational opportunities for residents in a manner that reduces or eliminates the need to duplicate facilities thereby making the most effective use of the limited economic resources of the municipality and school board,” the agreement states.
Town administration will report back to council following meetings with Chinook’s Edge officials.
