Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - An overwhelming majority of the 50 or so people that turned out (in person or via ZOOM) to the Cortes Island Firefighting Association (CIFFA) AGM on Thursday, Mar 30, were supportive of the fire department.

CIFFA has a contract to provide fire fighting services, with the Strathcona Regional District (SRD).

A number of attendees questioned the Strathcona Regional District’s current idea of setting up of a regional system, with a Fire Chief in Campbell River.

“I just wondered if the Regional District has a mandate to provide the level of fire service that Cortes Island has developed for itself over the last 30 years? If they take over our department, is there any saying whether or not they have to provide the kind of fire service that we have here?” asked Aaron Ellingsen.

Christine Robinson added, “I think there's no concern about the budget, it's about governance and process. I want to know once we pass the budget, what comes next? How do we get clarity from the SRD as to how we move forward in keeping self-governance on Cortes?”

Andy Ellingsen said, “I would hate to leave this call without a clear statement of the importance that I see of keeping the control of our fire department at the local level. I do not see how we can run a volunteer fire department with a Chief that's appointed and answers to the SRD in Campbell River.”

This was one of the many supportive comments that prompted a round of clapping and applause.

The entire slate of 7 DIrectors proposed by CIFFA was voted in. Sadhu Johnston, the former City Manager of Vancouver who at one point in the meeting was called CIFFA’s ‘ringer,’ will continue in his new role as President. Chris Walker is Vice President. Lisa Ferentinos is the new Secretary/Treasurer. Wes KIrk, Chris Dragseth, Aaron Ellingsen and Dave Robertson are Directors at Large.

Most attendees recognized that there must be an increase in the budget in order to meet the new provincial standards taking effect in March 2024. The budget for 2023, which calls an increase of just under $250 for the average property owner, was approved.

Someone did question the budget’s pay rises, “You can only pay so much out of your local tax base. Obviously you can't pay your Fire Chief on Cortes the same amount that you might have to in Campbell River. It's a completely different tax base. So how do they work that up?”

Interim Fire Chief Eli McKenty replied, “The Chief on Cortes makes less than a regular firefighter in Campbell River. The Chiefs in Campbell River and all the officers are paid vastly more.” 

(In a previous interview, Vice President Chris Walker pointed out that CIFFA wants to pay the Fire Chief $90,000 per year and the average firefighter in Campbell River makes $120,000.)

Sadhu Johnston explained, “If we look back at the past decade, the spend thrift nature of our operation has kept costs really low and really what it should be doing is going up evenly over time so you don't have this kind of bumpy increase. I think it's incumbent upon the board to be thinking about the next five years and looking at what increases are needed. So we can stay on top of it and not have a big jump in one year — which is really jarring.”

“It's something to recognize that training, fuel insurance, all of these costs are going up. We need to project that out and try to be proactive so that taxpayers know what to expect in the years ahead. Typically what a municipality would try to do would be to project those costs over time and try to predict a little bit in advance, which I think we've done well with the fire truck that's needed. The money's been put in reserve so we don't need to pay it all at once. It can be purchased with the money that's been put in the bank over time. That is the kind of approach we want to take with the whole department.”