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Joint fire services assessment between Town of Georgina and Town of East Gwillimbury identifies opportunities for shared services

Feb. 17, 2023, Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Ont. – The towns of Georgina and East Gwillimbury announced a joint fire services assessment in 2022 which included an update to both municipal Fire Master Plans, options for service efficiencies, and a review of the potential to consolidate the two departments.

The study included extensive stakeholder engagement and concluded that both communities are well served by their existing fire and emergency services departments. Although the study does not recommend consolidating the two fire departments at this time, the report identifies opportunities for shared services with a focus on shared fire fleet maintenance.

The joint assessment was funded as part of the provincial Municipal Modernization (Intake 3) grant. The objectives of the review included determining efficiencies and modernization opportunities under the terms of the Office of the Fire Marshal’s Three Lines of Defence; public fire safety education, fire safety standards and enforcement, and emergency response.

As part of the report, both Georgina and East Gwillimbury Councils endorsed further exploration of potential shared services to assist with continuous modernization. As an initial step towards shared services, both Council’s approved a recommendation to explore a concept of transferring the East Gwillimbury fire fleet to Georgina Fleet Services. It is anticipated that this transition could occur in 2024, subject to further review and 2024 budget approvals.