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By Greg Price
Taber Times
gprice@tabertimes.com
The Village of Barnwell officially terminated its fire service contract with the Town of Taber as of March 21, 2018.
“Due to the considerable growth that we have experienced over the past several years, council, after much consideration has determined that this decision is prudent for the viability and safety of the community,” said Wendy Bateman, CAO for the Village of Barnwell in a prepared statement issued to The Taber Times. “Most municipalities the size of the Village of Barnwell are equipped with a fire hall and a volunteer fire department. The Village of Barnwell will be entering into a new fire partnership agreement with the Municipal District of Taber, it being a natural partnership since we are surrounded by the M.D. jurisdiction and this partnership will be of benefit to both parties.”
The Village of Barnwell has decided to pay out the full last year of its agreement with the Town of Taber where Barnwell will become part of the M.D. of Taber Regional Fire Service Initiative as of March 31 of this year.
Barnwell will be building a fire hall and recruiting volunteers to be trained as firefighters, and will be responding not only to calls within the Village of Barnwell, but in the M.D. of Taber as well. The fire hall will operate as a satellite for the M.D. of Taber Regional Fire Department that is located in Taber and will operate under their command. There are similar satellite halls in Enchant, Hays, Vauxhall and Grassy Lake as the region looks to combine forces of all its volunteer fire departments for an effective fire service.
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