Message from Chair Patrick Brabazon re "Local mapping project by Lasqueti Fire Dept"
On October 26th this List carried a post by Andrew Fall advising of a "Local mapping project by Lasqueti Fire Dept." Throughout the post there are further references to LIVFD and "LIVFD members". When informed of this post Al Radke, CAO of the Powell River Regional District, responded.
In his response, our CAO raised several points which Lasquetians may not have been aware of:
1. The LIVFD is a service of the Regional District and as such is governed by resolutions of the Regional Board, and
2. Unless another spokesperson has been designated by the Fire Chief, only the Chief of a PRRD fire department speaks for the department, and
3. Although the post declared that the information collected will be for use "only by the LIVFD" in fact [point 1] the LIVFD is not a "private" organization and the data collected will be under the domain of the "Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act", and
4. The context in which this initiative is presented in the post could lead any reasonable person to conclude that it is an LIVFD initiative, and
5. Lasqueti residents requested that the Regional Board create a select committee to review and consider all aspects of emergency response services on Lasqueti Island; the terms of reference will be reviewed by directors on November 12th.
The Chief Administrative Officer is the senior civil servant in the local government. As such he is required to be aware of the day-to-day circumstances affecting the PRRD and its operations. When informed of the post by Andrew Fall he consulted Ryan Thoms, Manager of Emergency Services, and advised me, Chair of the Board, of his intended response. His actions were entirely within his jurisdiction and entirely appropriate. Had he not done so some residents of Lasqueti Island might engage with this mapping and information-gathering initiative under the mistaken impression that it was a proper PRRD/LIVFD initiative and the PRRD would have failed in its due diligence.
Patrick Brabazon, Chair, Powell River Regional District
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