Question 1
In its 2019 Annual Report (September 8, 2020), Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) states “[as] part of the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) accreditation process and as a commitment to the residents, OFS will be working throughout 2020 to develop a new 2021-2024 Strategic Plan”. This plan has not been released and it is critically important for a public safety organization tasked with being prepared to mitigate emergencies. In the CFAI Accreditation Report (July 8, 2019), the peer assessors recommend “the agency [OFS] continue to proactively plan for community consultation and engagement during 2019 and 2020 in developing the 2021-2024 strategic plan.”
Will you commit to supporting the timely development of the OFS 2021-24 Strategic Plan with input from community consultation and engagement?
Brandon Bay, Candidate for MayorYes
Nour Kadri, Candidate for Mayor
Yes.
Graham MacDonald, Candidate for Mayor
yes, I will commit to supporting the timely development of the OFS 2021-24 Strategic Plan with input from community consultation and engagement, an effective leader must know how to collaborate and engage the community with issues that directly affect them and their livelihood.
Mike Maguire, Candidate for Mayor
Yes. This seems like a sensible risk-mitigation step for the City and OFS.
Ade Olumide, Candidate for MayorYes, based the background you provided this seems reasonable.
Param Singh, Candidate for Mayor
I believe that community engagement is important, and a consultation is a must. Our community continues to grow, and urban intensification will continue to rise. We must ensure that the community is aware of the greater potential of injury/loss of life and property loss due to this intensification. We must ensure that our emergency services keep up with the needs of our communities, while ensuring that our firefighters remain safe.
Rosemee Cantave, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 1 Orléans East-Cumberland
Absolutely. Yes, I commit to support the development of the OFS 2021-24 Strategic Plan. I will be the voice of the constituents of my ward. And will make sure that they be informed of anything happening at the city level.
Tessa Franklin, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 1 Orléans East-Cumberland
Yes. With the increasing development in the east end, we must ensure we’re prepared by working with first responders to establish needs and fill the gaps.
Taayo Simmonds, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 3 Barrhaven West
I support
Christine Moulaison, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 4 Kanata North
This is something that I will absolutely support. Ensuring accreditation, the safety of the public, and that of the OFS staff members should be of the utmost importance.
Stephanie Maghnam, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 5 West Carleton-March
Yes
Greg Patacairk, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 5 West Carleton-March
Yes
Mathew Duchesne, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 6 Stittsville
Yes absolutely and you will be invited to my regular public consultations with my constituents about topics like urban planning, how we want our city to grow, where we want intensification - in places closer to transit stations (transit oriented developments) so that residents can live less car dependant lives and have viable alternate housing types that make sense with built form - walkable neighbourhoods, well serviced, especially fire coverage .. usine building materials that make better sense than siding, etc. I’ve heard your message and it’s time to act.
Tanya Hein, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 6 Stittsville
Yes
Kevin Hua, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 6 Stittsville
Yes, laying out the strategy and plan in our approach to fire protection in our city and communities over the next few years is vital to ensuring that we continue to be able to serve the needs of the public and this should absolutely include public and community consultation and input in developing the OFS 2021-24 Strategic Plan as the public has a right to be involved and engaged on it.
Robert Hill, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 7 Bay
It is deeply disturbing to me that a report and plan for something as crucial as an emergency service in this city is this long overdue, From day 1 at the council table I will work with the community and our partners to develop this plan as soon as possible and of course as thorough as possible. We need to be prepared for anything and everything and we cannot be reactive, We have to be proactive.
Theresa Kavanagh, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 7 Bay
I support the regular development of strategic plans to guide all aspects of the City of Ottawa’s responsibilities. I take the annual reports that City Council receives from the OFS each year very seriously, and am an advocate of rigorous community consultation as part of developing, implementing and evaluating those strategic plans.
Laine Johnson, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 8 College
Yes. I am, by profession, a community engagement specialist. I routinely seek out public, private and non-profit perspectives to inform decision-making. I am an independent thinker, but have exceptional listening and synthesizing skills. I am honest and transparent with my stakeholders on any given project. I am not afraid of hosting difficult conversations so that we can ensure the best results. I have led public institutions, supported community engagement, and taught municipal policy. I have learned to navigate the system and have strong relationships with city staff, officials, BIAs, and communities. I strongly
support and and all engagement with the public to inform decision-making, given it’s done at the appropriate time to influence the outcomes and those outcomes are communicated back to the public. The strategic plan would also be best served to describe how it will report back regularly to the public its results, successes, and lessons learned.
Sean Devine, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 9 Knoxdale-Merivale
Yes
Myles Egli, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 9 Knoxdale-Merivale
Yes
Michael Wood, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 9 Knoxdale-Merivale
I believe with the changes in the climate and other factors, our emergency services will need to have a strong strategic plan moving forward. I believe it will be critically important to have input from the community and engagement there I would support the timely development of the plan.
Taylor Houstoun, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 10 Gloucester-Southgate
I will and do entirely support the timely development of the OFS 2021-24 Strategic Plan with full community consultations and input.
Hicham Boutaleb, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier
Yes, I support it. As we can see it is in fact too late for the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan to be finished in a timely manner since it’s already 2022. That’s why it is even more important to encourage a quick yet full-fledged development of the plan.
Kim Leclerc, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier
I support the adoption of a more modern action plan that has been subject to genuine community consultation.
Stéphanie Plante, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier
YES I see this as an important document for the City’s future safety and will assist timely community consultation. I am a strong advocate for more and meaningful community consultation.
Laura Shantz, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier
Yes, I will support the timely development of the OFS 2021-24 Strategic Plan with input from community consultation and engagement.
Peter Karwacki, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 13 Rideau-Rockliffe
Strategic Planning refers to the direction of the service, it speaks to the position of the service with the advancement of time.
It would be fool hardy NOT to plan strategically. Of course I support Fire Services Strategic planning!!!!
Rawlson King, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 13 Rideau-Rockliffe
Yes
Stuart MacKay, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 14 Somerset
Yes, I will commit to supporting the timely development of the Ottawa Fire Service (OFS) Strategic Plan with input from community consultation and engagement. Of particular importance for me is engagement with renters, low-income, and precariously housed residents whose voices are not often heard here in Somerset Ward, yet who rely often on OFS services.
Brandon Russell, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 14 Somerset
Yes! Public input is so important at all levels, but especially at the city level. I have been talking to people across this ward for months, and regardless of the issues people want to know what's going on, as a councillor I believe that I owe people at least that. The people of Somerset are tired of council proposing these "reports" that never get published, or even completed. If our city can't be prepared for the next crisis, we are set up to fail.
Ariel Troster, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 14 Somerset
Yes, absolutely
Riley Brockington, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 16 River
Alex Dugal, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 16 River
Shawn Menard, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 17 Capital
Marty Carr, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 18 Alta-Vista
Yvette Ashiri, Candidate for Councillor - Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan
Yes- the core of my platform is about coming together and making decisions as a community. Any plan that engages and consults the public and community is something I will always get behind.
Bob Masaro, Candidate for Councillor Ward 20 Osgoode
Patti Searl, Candidate for Councillor Ward 21 Rideau-Jock
I absolutely would and as part of this piece I would be happy to be engaged and assist with an overview and make recommendations where I can. I have experience within the Federal Government in strategic planning for emergency preparedness and have already highlighted this as a project that I would like to engage and assist further with if I am the elected Councillor for Ward#21. The residents in our Ward * , one of the largest in Ottawa, need to rely on reliable and prompt emergency services and the wellbeing, safety and security is top of mind to guide me in my work. I look forward to working with your organization.
Kevin Setia, Candidate for Councillor Ward 21 Rideau-Jock
Yes 100%, This would be pivotal for growing needs of our city.
Mike Dawson, Candidate for Councillor Ward 23 Kanata South
Rouba Fattal, Candidate for Councillor Ward 23 Kanata South
Yes - I am a strong believer in community engagement and consultation. I would hope that as firefighters are testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in areas, that they are able to find the time to seek input like this from residents. I would work to help promote awareness campaigns on fire hazards in households, particularly as we see an increase in mobile battery chargers in garages… Developers should be installing fire alarms in garages as well, and have a responsibility to make sure proper inspections with the Electrical Safety Authority are being done on new developments so that we are assured new houses are safe to live in.
Patrick Brennan, Candidate for Councillor Ward 24 Barrhaven East
Richard Garrick, Candidate for Councillor Ward 24 Barrhaven East
Wilson Lo, Candidate for Councillor Ward 24 Barrhaven East
While reading the question’s accompanying text, the most troubling part for me was “…OFS will be working throughout 2020 to develop a new 2021-2024 Strategic Plan. This plan has not been released and it is critically important…” A protective service of any large city needs documents like strategic plans updated regularly to guide its efforts as the city continues to grow and change. I would support the timely development of the OFS’s strategic plan for 2021-2024 with input from the community. I understand the situation the world was thrown into in 2020, but simply continuing off a previous plan may cause changes in protection efforts, standards, and the city to be missed.
Side thought: Would it be worth it to simply move on to the next plan or adjust the start year to 2023?
