Crystal Beach Strand page two
FIRE DEPARTMENT STATION LOCATION REPORT
RESTRUCTURING MAY BE IN TOWN'S FUTURE

Chief Douglas Sees Challenges and Improvements Ahead
for Fire Service Delivery
Lakeland Consulting will deliver its Station Location Operability Report report to Fort Erie
Council at its Regular Meeting on December 8, 2008,. The land use planner was retained by the
town to conduct a thorough study of the present fire station locations and make
recommendations as to how to update or relocate current fire services.

"I'm excited about the possibilities the study represents," said Fort
Erie Fire Chief Jim Douglas in a phone interview on Friday.

On Thursday, November 20, a public forum was held at town hall to discuss the results of the four
month study. Residents could get information about current fire services and ask questions about
the future of the town's six  fire halls.  Douglas pointed out that two current fire stations, #2 on
Jarvis Street and #4 on Ridge Road are outdated and landlocked, this giving few options for
expansion or improvement.  The station on Jarvis Street is over a hundred years old, built in a
time when fire apparatus was horse drawn. Station 4 was built in the 1950s when fire apparatus
was smaller and volunteers lived within walking distance to the station.  Fire fighting has evolved
greatly since those early days.  Firefighters
must now be trained to deal with fires involving newer
and more complex materials and the equipment used to handle these fires is more
sophisticated.  Older fire stations often do not have the space to house the larger fire apparatus
and equipment.  Douglas says that the town has been very supportive of his efforts to streamline
fire service delivery. The consultant and his department have "left no stone unturned" in a
thorough exercise to address location issues that could effect future fire service delivery.  
Once the study is presented, Chief Douglas realizes that he will first have to sell any
improvements to town council and then to the taxpayers.  He said that it is a scary prospect
considering the current difficult economic times, but fire and emergency services should remain
a top priority.  A glaring example of what can happen when improvements are caught up in the
system was shown during the freak snowstorm in October, 2006.  While the fire department
waited for funding to install generators in all fire halls, there was a massive power outage as a
result of broken tree limbs falling on power lines all over Fort Erie.  Fortunately, town fire halls
now have emergency generators, but the lack of a nearby place where those without power could
go, was a real problem for those without transportation to the emergency centre at the
Leisureplex.
For now, it is merely be a blueprint with recommendations.  It will be up to the current council to
find a way to fund the improvements.
OK.  Where's the
$2 Million?
 
We kinda know where it is (Nordic Games,)
but it should be returned now that the
proposed $300 million resort is off the table.  
That money was given to Nordic Games in
good faith that it would be used as seed
money for the proposed resort.  It is taxpayers'
money from the Province's Economic
Development Ministry.  We need it back.  We
have places that need it - like Bay Beach - a
major tourist draw in the summer.
Where is our money, Mr. Thibert?  You were
the one who decided that it would all go to the
racetrack. You  bet it all on the racetrack and
lost.  Not smart putting all that money on one
horse.
Dumpsters on Parade
The new Crystal Beach BIA has its work cut out for it
from Day 1 as an on-going problem lingers since
last summer: the view of the garbage receptacles of
the Crystal Beach Tennis and Yacht Club from Erie
Road.  This is a close-up of a picture I took at
Mia's
Antiques
on Erie Road.  This is the view from her
store front window.  It looks tidy now, but summer
residents fill those receptacles up quickly.  It's
another unsightly image that visitors see as they
walk or drive towards the public beach or visit
businesses on Erie and Derby Roads. There have
been discussions with the developer of the gated
community, and promises of some kind of screen to
block the sight; so far nothing seems to have
changed.
Another eyesore is the public parking lot just up the
street towards Ridgeway Road.  Most do not know it
is public because of poor signage and lights that do
not work.  But the biggest problem is that residents
of a nearby apartment bulding park their vehicles in
the lot - some never moved - giving passersby the
impression it is a private parking lot for denizens of
the by-law challenged building.  There's even a
basketball net left behind by a tenant.  The BIA
hopefully will get the town to properly mark the
parking spaces and ticket cars that are parked in the
public area of the lot illegally.  A large, well-lighted
sign informing people that it is a public parking lot
would go a long way towards helping customers stay
in the area.  
And Another Thing ...
The parking situation along Erie Road
is problematic.  In the summer, beach
goers park in the few spaces available
to customers of businesses in the area.
 The are clearly marked "2 Hour
Parking" but they are ignored and there
seems to be little or no enforcement of
that rule.  To everyone's astonishment,
an employee of one restaurant in the
area, parks all day in the 2 hour space
right in front of the restaurant!  Get a
clue, somebody. That's for your
customers, 'mkay?
I can't believe that anyone has to point
this out, but it has been an on-going
problem for years.  Other businesses
suffer as well because their customers
can't use the few parking spaces
available as the restaurant's staff has
them all tied up.
Firefighters make short work of kitchen fire - and save a cat.
On Friday, November 21, firefighters from Station 6 in Crystal Beach were called out to a smoky
fire on Erie Road in the so-called Artisan Village.  The second floor apartment sustained minor
smoke damage when a plastic container left on the stove, caught fire and melted.  A new tenant
was moving in and did not realize the stove was on.  Firefighters quickly doused the fire and
aired the apartment out.  They rescued the tenant's cat who came through the ordeal unscathed.
Chief Douglas did advise that they haven't yet had a need to use the special pet-friendly
breathing apparatus that was donated through the efforts of Crystal Beach resident Kim
Gallagher whose own cats were saved when her apartment on Derby Road was destroyed by
fire last year.  Each fire station has one.  Douglas did say that the fire department is very grateful
to have the life-saving equipment.
New Property Maintenance
By-Law
is a hot mess.  (Read
More)