Barrie Fire and Emergency Service (BFES) isn't just kept busy responding to calls here in the city.
Last year, the local fire department also responded to 60 calls for service outside of Barrie’s borders.
The city says these incidents were a combination of mutual aid, technical rescue contracts and service agreement area responses.
Those calls included:
- four fires, three technical rescues, and two hazardous material responses
- 33 vehicle collisions
- 18 other incidents such as medical calls, false alarms, and perceived emergencies
“I’m proud of the leadership role our team plays in our community and beyond in terms of mutual-aid calls, dispatching emergency calls for over 20 surrounding municipalities, and being available to assist when needed,” Barrie Fire Chief Cory Mainprize said in a release.
“This showcases the importance of the city’s positive partnerships, as well as our professional capacity to always lend a helping hand," he added.
In 2023, Barrie Fire staff dispatched 35,893 emergency incidents for 21 municipalities, responded to 10,722 emergency incidents andalso achieved the National Fire Protection Association call-processing time for 97 per cent of emergency incidents
The communications branch of the BFES receives and processes requests for assistance and emergency vehicles are dispatched for 21 municipalities.
Communications dispatch is responsible for more than 800,000 residents within Simcoe County, Dufferin County, Grey County, the District of Muskoka, and York Region. The city says these shared-service agreements show how municipalities can collaborate to provide services in a way that is most economical for residents.
BFES also provides "high-level service" in fire inspection/code enforcement, fire protection, technical rescue, training, communications, origin and cause investigations, as well as emergency management planning.
For more information, visit barrie.ca/BFES.
