February 8, 1999
To:Emergency and Protective Services Committee
From:Barry Gutteridge, Commissioner, Works & Emergency Services
Alan F. Speed, Fire Chief
Subject:Formal Partnership and Co-operation between the Toronto Fire Services and the
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, United Kingdom (U.K.)
Purpose:
To form a close formal working relationship between the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
and the Toronto Fire Services. This proposal is to include exchange visits of Fire Services
Personnel and, where appropriate, members of Council.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
Fire Services Budget to cover travel costs for Toronto Fire Services staff to participate in
reciprocal visits. We will explore potential for billeting arrangements to minimize expenses.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that this proposal be considered and that the Fire Chief be authorized to
negotiate a partnership arrangement with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services which will
include closer future contacts and, where opportunities exist, staff reciprocal visits.
Council Reference/Background/History:
In 1996 T/Assistant Chief Officer O'Neill of the Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service visited
Toronto and North York while taking part in the International Research Project element of his
Brigade Command Course and a liaison with the Toronto Fire Services commenced. This
liaison has strengthened in the interim period and since that first visit Senior Divisional
Officer Richardson, of Lancashire, has also visited Toronto to conduct research for his 1998
Brigade Command Course Project.
These visits served to underline the usefulness of international contact between Fire Services.
The Chief Fire Officer of Lancashire continued to encourage this liaison and this culminated
in the attendance of Fire Chief Alan Speed at the 1998 Glasgow Conference of the Chief and
Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association (CACFOA) where Chief Speed delivered a paper on
the experiences of amalgamating six separate Municipal Fire Departments into a unified fire
service, for the new City of Toronto. This visit was paid for by the conference organizers.
During the conference, the Chairman was introduced to Chief Speed and it is possible that
further international contacts will flow from this meeting.
Following the visit to the CACFOA conference Chief Speed visited Lancashire Fire and
Rescue Service for three busy days witnessing all aspects of their service. It became very
evident that tremendous potential exists for the benefit of both organizations by formulating
an agreement of cooperation and information sharing.
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
Some benefits identified by the Chief Fire Officer of Lancashire and the Toronto Fire Chief
are the exchange of professional and technical information, also the comparison of strategies,
policies, systems and equipment leading to shared information and ideas with the added
benefits of "international bench marking". Also, the discussion of opportunities and
challenges for each organization, from different perspectives and mutual provision of
solutions to problems that either organization has had previous experience of. Other benefits
include joint training opportunities, possible staff exchange programs, joint events and
contacts for elected officials and further commercial opportunities for the International
training of Fire Services Personnel.
Conclusions:
There are many positive elements to these liaisons and it is proposed that a more formal
relationship be formed between the Toronto Fire Services and the Lancashire Fire and Rescue
Service to capture many of the benefits and advantages identified above.
The Chief Fire Officer of the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is keen to formalize such a
relationship and is in the process of securing approval from his elected officials.
Experience has shown the value of such international partnerships, for example the UK/US
Chief Fire Officers Forum is now well established but no such link has been formed between
Canada and the U.K.. In advancing this proposal, Toronto will be "pioneering" by forming this
Fire Services related partnership between a U.K. and Canadian Fire Service.
Contact Name:
Alan Speed
Tel: 397-4300 Fax: 397-4325
Alan F. Speed
Fire Chief
Barry Gutteridge
Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services
AFS/mp