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YOUR LOCAL POLICE C ICBC

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This Week

An Island Publishers Newsmagazine

626A Fisgard Street,
Victoria, British Columbia
V8W 1R6 381-3484

Reg Cowie, Publisher
Tony Kant, Editor

Rin eee eee en a ea eee ES

CIVIC AFFAIRS

Ksquimalt’s combined
police/firefighters .
enjoy their dual role

Continued from Page 1
Since the 1930s, the depart-
ment has evolved from one
firefighter staffing the firehall
next to the Park Place police
station. Today, the full-time
police and fire department has
43 uniformed constables and
three detectives.

Chief Marriot says their role
is 90 per cent policing and 10
per cent firefighting. Last
year, constables responded to
more than 400 fire calls, in-
cluding false alarms, car acci-
dents and a rash of automobile
arson.

Marriott, Esquimalt chief
since 1968, is responsible for
overseeing both policing and
firefighting. The role is
familiar to him. He came to
Esquimalt when the East Kil-
donan, Man., police depart-
ment gave up its roll as
police/fire department 22
years ago.

The Esquimalt department
has jurisdiction over a 2.2
square mile area. Esquimalt’s
size lends itself to a dual-
capacity department, Mar-
riott says.

He adds that combined
police and fire services save
the municipality $1 million
per year in operating costs.
The department houses police
and fire administration under
one roof. Communications for
both roles are also co-or-
dinated from a central dis-
patch.

Constables spend eight
weeks “on the road,” primarily
working as police on a two-
day, two-night rotation fol-
lowed by four days off.
However, if the need arises,
those assigned police duties
will assist as firefighters.
After eight weeks, constables
work a three-week, assigned
stint in the firehall.

Marriott says in a standard
fire department there is a lot
of down time. In Esquimalt,
constables use any down time
in the firehall to catch up with
their policing paperwork.

“It maximizes efficiency,” he
says.~ We looked at our needs
and were saving ap-
proximately $1 million. That’s
30 per cent of our budget.
Savings in overtime and court
costs are dramatic.”

Aside from financial
scrutiny, the department is
facing a review of efficiency as
a fire department, including
response time and cost of fire
losses. Marriott acknowledges
the role of his constables as
firefighters hinges in part on
the findings of the Protective
Services Review Committee,
which are due by Nov. 30.

The possibility of amal-
gamation is a topic of conver-
sation among the constables.
If amalgamation goes ahead,
they face a choice — for many
it would be a tough decision.

Const. George McGregor, 26,
in his sixth year with the
department, says, “We enjoy
what we're doing. It’s why we
joined Esquimalt.”

As McGregor wheels his car
onto Viewfield Road, the other

constables roll hoses and hang
ladders after Sunday's train-
ing. He explains the dual role
has definite benefits for the
individual.

“We don’t get burned out as
quickly. We get every eighth
week off from policing (by
serving in the firehall),” he
says. We get paid extra, too.”

Esquimalt constables are
paid an additional seven per
cent for their firefighting com-
mitment. But the monetary
incentive is only one of the
benefits. :

In a municipality the size of
Esquimalt, constables patroll-
ing the streets often arrive at
a fire before the fire trucks.
Const. Tim Carr, 38, driving
one of the department's trucks
to Sunday’s training, says he
has arrived at a fire prior to

the fire trucks “countless
times.”

“You can evaluate the sitiza-
tion, control a fire and put it
out before the fire trucks ar- ~

' Five, but only if you have the

(firefighting) knowledge. I
enjoy both, but I enjoy police
work more because you're al- &
ways on the go.” :
Carr says he would lean
toward policing if amalgama-
tion forced his hand, but for.
other officers the choice would
be more difficult. Const. Rob
Dibden, 27, in his ninth year
with Esquimalt, says the dual
role attracted him to the job in
the first place. :
“I personally like both sides ©
of the job,” Dibden says. “I’d be
hard pressed to decide one

Continued on Page 5

CHANGING ROLES, police Const. George McGregor pulls on

his turnout gear. Police officers assigned to fire duty store their
gear in duffle bags, which are kept on the fire trucks.

Photo by CHUCK RUSSELL