The Village of Zeballos has made the tough decision to suspend its volunteer fire department.

In an online statement, Mayor Julie Colborne noted the village is currently dealing with a number of issues, including a staffing shortage, and after a closed council meeting on May 27, decided it will be temporarily suspending firefighting services rendered by the Village of Zeballos Volunteer Fire Department and will be hiring consultants with expertise in local fire services.

B次元官网网址淭hese experts will be able to offer council additional insight on policies and procedures that may be suitable for the village,B次元官网网址� said Colborne, adding more information will be made available to the public in the next few weeks as council decides on its next steps.

According to the mayorB次元官网网址檚 statement, the villageB次元官网网址檚 legal counsel, consultants and the Office of the Fire Commissioner have B次元官网网址渋dentified areas of potential liability to the village and its firefightersB次元官网网址� and the village needs to B次元官网网址渦nderstand and mitigate these risks.B次元官网网址�

She added the village will B次元官网网址渟eek information on the expectations of the Office of the Fire Commissioner, training levels of fire department members and the WCB requirements to keep our members safe.B次元官网网址�

Colborne also says the village recommends residents B次元官网网址渓ook at their own policies of insurance to decide whether they need to report the change to their insurer.B次元官网网址�

She thanked the villageB次元官网网址檚 current fire department members for their time and effort.

B次元官网网址淵our continued dedication and commitment is invaluable. Our fire chief position has been vacant and our firefighter roster numbers have been low for some time. We are looking to remedy this and fill the other vacancies in the department. Please volunteer today and help be part of the solution.B次元官网网址�

If there is a fire, you can still call 911 as dispatch services will have a protocol in place.

editor@northislandgazette.com
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