Regional Government and Local Fire Departments: Compatible Structures for the Future

1. Regional Government and Local Fire Departments: Compatible Structures for the Future 2011 Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Fire Services Annual Conference Gander, June 19, 2011 Robert Keenan Community Cooperation Program Officer

2. Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador represents all municipal governments in the province. MNL addresses all aspects of municipal government, including fire fighting services. The Community Cooperation Office (CCO)was established in 2005 to actively support regional cooperation between municipalities on all aspects of municipal government. CCO has worked with municipalities on: Joint Councils Service sharing arrangements Regional Government Initiative ICSPs Amalgamation MNL and Its Community Cooperation Office

3. Fire Departments and Municipalities • MNL is particularly aware of the important safety function and social/cultural role of fire departments in NL. • For many municipalities, the local fire department is a primary source of pride, community identity, and socialization. • From personal experience, the fastest way to lose the confidence of municipal residents is to be seen as a threat to the local fire department. • Fire departments, though an arm of council, are often a powerful counterweight to the political will of elected councils.

4. Regionalization is, understandably, viewed as threatening to many local fire departments. This appears more due to the extraordinary change that is occurring in rural NL. Population decline has drastically altered the face of local fire departments. Many fire departments do not operate from a position of strength – their long term future is uncertain (as is that of their community). Regionalization and Local Fire Departments

5. Also given no choice but to regionalize; provincial government policy re. new fire equipment for small municipalities is focused on regionalization. However, there is no guide for regionalization. As a result, regionalization of fire departments becomes an uncomfortable combination of local politics, government requirements, and local need. Regionalization and Local Fire Departments

6. The same forces that drive fire fighting regionalization – provincial government policy, long term sustainability, declining and aging populations – also drive municipal regionalization. Municipal governments are not approaching regionalization from a position of strength. Municipal governments also have few regionalization options available: Amalgamation Service sharing arrangements Regional Councils MNL’s Regional Government Initiative

7. MNL’s Regional Government Initiative The regionalization options that are available are not very attractive: Amalgamation: too stressful, causes too much uncertainty, too divisive, too final. It is debatable whether amalgamations even work, and most municipalities have no interest in amalgamating. Service sharing arrangements: usually too small to actually enhance local sustainability. Level of expertise at the local level is often not available to make the most of service sharing arrangements. Regional Councils: available under the Municipalities Act, but a complete failure in NL. None currently exist, and the province does not promote them.

8. MNL felt compelled to examine options that currently do not exist in NL. Regional government systems exist in BC, Quebec, Ontario, and a system of regional government has been proposed for NB. The regional governments of BC and Quebec are very strong and work very well. Also decided to consider a county system, which exists in Nova Scotia. Regional Government Papers

9. MNL also wanted to avoid some of the problems of past examination of regional government. We needed to provide context to the urgent need for municipal reform. Therefore, a majority of the space of our regional government papers is devoted to providing a broad overview of the current state of our municipal system. Regional Government Papers

10. MNL’s assessment of the current municipal system highlighted that the current system cannot be fixed with minor changes. Most municipalities have too few resources, too few people, and too many responsibilities to effectively adapt for the future. Problems are more acute since the moratorium – many municipalities have never recovered. Provincial government has provided more regional supports – REDBs, Rural Secretariat, Regional Service Boards – that exist outside of municipal control. Regional Government Papers

11. Municipalities are also struggling to effectively regionalize on their own. Joint councils are largely weak and rarely result in unified action. From MNL’s data, we know that service sharing arrangements are usually entered into to either: Save money; or Maintain current service levels. Regional Government Papers

12. Regionalization Not Amalgamation It is also clear that amalgamation is not the answer. NL has an extremely unique settlement pattern and a very small population. As a result, amalgamating 3-5 small municipalities into 1 small municipality does not result in significantly more capacity at the local level.

13. Regionalization is Not Amalgamation It is important to stress the differences between regionalization and amalgamation. Unfortunately many – the media, the province – act as if the words mean the same thing. To MNL, regionalization involves different individual units working together collaboratively towards a specific goal. Amalgamation is the opposite. It eliminates all the individual entities and collapses them all under one entity.

14. The focus of our work moved towards a method of providing extra and better services to municipalities without eliminating municipalities. Our issue is one of scope – how to create a structure that is big enough and flexible enough to provide support at the local level for certain services. Fire and emergency services is mentioned as an area where regional managements may be appropriate. Regional Government Papers

15. The only meaningful solution MNL could find to provide meaningful support was creating mandatory regional government for the entire province (including Local Service Districts and unincorporated areas). Our version of regional government would have purpose, would be fiscally responsible, and would be municipally led. We did not define what would constitute a region. Regional Government Papers

16. MNL launched this initiative at its 2010 Municipal Symposium with the release of the three regional government papers. Initial response to the Initiative was very positive, though some municipalities had significant concerns. Two copies of the three papers were mailed to every municipality in May 2010. Given the length of the papers, a short summary was created and seven copies of that was sent to each municipality in Sept. 2010. Regional Government Initiative

17. Regional Government Consultations began in February 2011. We currently have completed five consultations. To provide all council members and administrators the opportunity to submit feedback, we created a regional government workbook, several copies of which were sent to every municipality in February 2011. Purpose of the workbook and consultations is to give participants the ability to construct what sort of regional government they think works best for them. Regional Government Initiative

18. Implications are potentially significant. However, no change is imminent; this is a long term process and we are at the beginning of year two. We need the input of local fire departments. We are not experts in fire and emergency services – you are – and we need your feedback on creating a regional system that will work for the next 50 years. Residents are often ambivalent towards municipal councils; yet, they view fire departments as the heart and soul of the community. We need to hear from the heart and soul of the community. Implications for Local Fire Departments

19. To be proactive or reactive. Regionalization is taking place with or without our approval. MNL wants firefighters to be proactive and help us build a regional system. We do not yet know what our regional government system will look like, so firefighter can still shape the outcome. Simply being reactive to our work will represent a lost opportunity to provide input. Could result in some of the same difficulties that fire departments have with amalgamations. Two Options

20. Many local fire departments are already involved in successful regional arrangements: Many fire departments have mutual assistance agreements There exist municipal corporations that run fire departments NORPEN operates a regional fire service These regional arrangements reflect largely local efforts. MNL needs to understand why these arrangements are so successful and how these can be replicated. Lessons MNL can Learn from Fire Departments

21. MNL has no desire to tell fire departments how to carry out their responsibilities. But fire departments are an arm of council and will play a critical role in our work. Trying to build a movement for change that, at the end of the process, can put forth a reasonable and comprehensive plan for local government. Rest assured, our primary consideration is the best interests of municipalities, and by extension, local fire departments. In Closing…

22. Thank You Robert Keenan Community Cooperation Officer ccrc@municipalitiesnl.com