Brock Township approves fire dispatch agreement with Oshawa

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

BROCK: Council recently approved a new agreement which will significantly enhance how emergency calls are handled within the community. At a meeting, held Monday, April 28th, council endorsed a 10-year Alerting and Dispatching Services Agreement with the City of Oshawa Fire Services. The agreement ensures all call-taking, alerting, and dispatching responsibilities for the Brock Fire Department will now be managed by certified emergency communicators in Oshawa.

“Communications is a critical part of fire services, and this agreement ensures our firefighters can focus entirely on responding to emergencies,” said Brock Fire Chief Harrison, who presented the report to council.

Previously, the Township relied on Oshawa Fire Services for call-taking and alerting, while dispatching remained the responsibility of Brock’s on-duty firefighters. This model had firefighters contacting the Oshawa Communications Centre for information, upon arriving at the station, and then assuming all communications responsibilities from that point on. However, that system has become increasingly unsustainable, Chief Harrison noted.

“With the new provincial certification requirements coming into effect, in 2026, all firefighters performing communications would need to be certified under the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA),” said Chief Harrison. “That would place a significant financial and time burden on our department, especially with our volunteer model.”

Other challenges include rising technological demands, such as the implementation of Next-Generation 9-1-1 and Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems, and increasing strain on volunteer firefighter availability.

“Instead of having a firefighter stay behind to manage radio traffic and coordination, that person can now be in the truck responding to the call,” Chief Harrison explained. “It’s a better use of our resources and increases our ability to respond effectively.”

Under the new agreement, the Township will pay Oshawa Fire Services an annual service fee, of $62,700, in 2025, prorated to the agreement's actual start date. The fee will increase annually by the greater of three percent or the Canadian Consumer Price Index. The cost has already been accounted for in the 2025 Fire Department Operating Budget.

The shift in service model aligns Brock with its regional counterparts. By the end of 2024, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, and Clarington will all have transitioned to Oshawa-managed fire communications. Brock and Scugog are scheduled to follow in 2025, with Uxbridge expected to join by 2026.

“This is the future of fire service communications in Durham Region,” said Chief Harrison. “We’re glad to be joining our regional partners, in taking this step forward.”

The agreement includes: provisions for liability coverage; a one-year early termination clause; and a 10-day termination option, if services are interrupted for more than five days. The final version of the agreement will be reviewed by the Fire Chief and the Township Clerk before being executed by the Mayor and Clerk.