A new survey seeks info from Langley Township residents on how to make the Fire Department better.
The Township Fire Department provides assistance at medical incidents, motor vehicle accidents, and emergencies, fights fires, and runs public information and education campaigns.
The Fire Department is also dedicated to constantly improving its service to the Townships’ residents, businesses, and visitors, and is asking those it serves to help make the department better.
Ideas and input from the public are being sought through an online survey that will help the Township Fire Department assess and enhance its operations – and prepare for the future.
The survey will be available at tol.ca/fire until the end of July, and residents are encouraged to fill it out and let the department know what services they would like more of, public safety issues that can be improved, and ways to enhance the department’s operations.
“It’s about continual improvement,” said Township of Langley fire chief Stephen Gamble. “The information we get from the public will help us address the community’s needs, determine what we need to do more or less of, and help shape the future.”
The survey is part of a public engagement process the department is undertaking as it works towards earning accreditation with the Centre for Public Safety Excellence, Commission of Fire Accreditation International.
Accreditation is a rigorous program for improving fire service decision making, resource deployment, service performance, cost effectiveness, and public reporting. Earning accreditation will raise the department’s level of performance and professionalism, and provide information that will allow Township of Langley council and senior management to improve decision-making when it comes to fire service resources and programs.
Most importantly, Gamble said, it will benefit the public in the community the department serves: “We are hoping the community will look at this and ask themselves if the Fire Department is providing the appropriate level of service they want and are paying for.”
The accreditation process has several components, including the development of a Master Plan and Standards of Cover.
Similar to the Township’s overall financial plan, the Fire Department’s Master Plan spans six years but is reviewed and updated annually, to provide both a current and a longer-term look at how the Department can achieve its goals.
The Community Risk Assessment Standards of Cover looks at all aspects of the community and the Fire Department, determines how the department is performing in comparison to industry standards, and recommends best practices concerning fire protection.
Gamble encourages residents to read the Master Plan and Standards of Cover at tol.ca/fire to learn more about their Fire Department and the services it provides, and to help them with filling out the survey.
Information gleaned from the survey will lead to additional public engagement, as the online questionnaire is just starting the conversation.
“Once we find out the theme of what people want, we will ask for more feedback and flesh out what the community is thinking,” Gamble said.