The La Broquerie Fire Department has expanded its coverage area.

Fire Chief Alain Nadeau says they were approached by Ste. Anne, asking if they would be interested in servicing another nine sections for them. Nadeau explains that for the past few years, they have been covering 27 sections east of Giroux, which falls within the Rural Municipality of Ste. Anne.

Nadeau says they were approached in summer, then negotiated a contract and officially took over January 1st. The La Broquerie Fire Department is now covering everything south of Provincial Road 311 and then from Road 36 East all the way to Road 48 East. 

The area north of PR 311 and west of Giroux is now being covered by the Hanover Fire Department. It had been the responsibility of Steinbach Fire Department prior to January 1st. 

Nadeau says the way their contract works is they had a retainer with Ste. Anne for the 27 sections that they cover. That retainer has now been increased with the addition of these nine sections. Nadeau says La Broquerie receives a lump sum at the beginning of the year and that total does not change based on the number of calls in a year. 

"Inter-municipal fire and rescue agreements shouldn't be about trying to make money from the municipality," says Nadeau. "But it should be about who is better placed logistically and best trained to offer that service for a reasonable cost recovery formula."

Nadeau says based on prior years, they expect to receive between three and eight calls to these nine sections in 2024. There were no calls to that area in the first half of January.

Nadeau says those nine sections include three or four large farms and then there are some residences in a few subdivisions there. 

According to Nadeau, they have signed a one-year contract with Ste. Anne and will then re-evaluate.