Vial of Life program coming to community also discussed at Aug. 4 meeting
Proposal from Central York Rural Community and Keswick Valley Fire Departments denied
Council reviewed minutes from the Nackawic-Millville Rural Community’s Protective Services Committee meeting on July 29. The committee recommended to council that the proposal presented to council and the North York Fire Department by the Central York Rural Community and the Keswick Valley Fire Department not be accepted, and that the standard mutual aid agreement continue.
A motion was made by Councillor Colin Trail and seconded by Councillor Errol Graham. The motion was carried. They also suggested contacting the Office of the Fire Marshal to discuss the matter.
Councillor Trail said the fire service agreement proposed by Central York Rural Community did not align with normal mutual aid agreements that have been in place for years and that the agreement proposed emergency mutual aid responses move from request-based to automatic. Still, he said that would not be consistent with or align with standard unified incident command principles.
“Nackawic-Millville Rural Community has serious concerns for the impacts that the changes that Central York Rural Community have made to fire service boundaries will have on the residents who live in the historical response area of North York Fire Department,” Trail said.
Previously, at the February 2 Nackawic-Millville Rural Community council meeting, council responded to Central York Rural Community’s request to cancel the fire service agreement.
Council had expressed serious concerns over the municipality’s request. At that meeting, Mayor Fox said the concerns are being raised primarily out of concern for constituents within the Millville fire station service area, who may be exposed to unnecessary and avoidable risks due to a decision that, in his opinion, is misguided and was made without appropriate and fulsome analysis.
Vial for Life Program coming to the community
Council listened to a presentation from Emily Schriver, owner/operator of Affinity Care Services, regarding the Vial for Life Program.
Affinity Care Services requested financial support from council to launch the program for residents. In her presentation, Schriver said the Vial for Life Program is a practical, affordable initiative that could save valuable time during medical emergencies and improve outcomes for residents. The program would be accessible to those who would benefit most, helping create a safer, healthier, and more prepared community.
Schriver explained that first responders would see a decal on the main door, which would tell them to look for medical information in an envelope located on the fridge door. This information would give paramedics direction. Patients would be responsible for updating their information on the form so there would be no liability to the community. Information about the program and forms could be distributed through the town hall, the fire department, paramedics, and other channels. She said this program and a similar one are currently up and running in both Quispamsis and Rothesay.
Councillor Floyd d’Entremont said this program is a clue to help paramedics do the best with what they have.
A motion was made by Councillor Steve Meldrum and seconded by Councillor Graham to provide $500 in funding and in-kind support (such as photocopying, etc.) for one year and see how it goes. The motion passed.
